Malevolence
by DraconianLamb
Summary: After Gumball's adventure into the Void, something follows him out. And it's hungry.
1. Prologue

**AN: It's me! I know, yay! This here is just the prologue for my second story, think of it as a teaser of some sorts. It is a horror, and it is violent so please be mindful of that. This story will also have gore. And as usual, Nicole and Gumball are the main characters but there will be no romance between the two. Yeah, I see how sad y'all are.**

 **Basically, I watched The Void a few days ago and it got me thinking, if it's the place for things that the world wants to dump its mistakes, what if there was something in there, just waiting to get out?**

 **I have no idea if this has been done yet, so I apologize if it has. I can't find any horrors that are like mine and I searched hard. Anyway, enjoy the prologue! As always, please leave any reviews or insults, any feedback is good feedback!  
**

* * *

Malevolence

Prologue

 _She stirred soundlessly, raising her head to listen. Her hearing had been sharpened to a razor-edge over the eons and she slipped from her den to search the dark forest for the source of the distant shouting. She had heard them coming after her before she saw them, the pathetic insects always were too loud for their own good and this simple fact made them so much easier to hunt. In the distance, the darkness was peeling back, and she saw the torches the bugs carried. Their every cry was a bellowing shriek, and they would call into the night in a weakly hidden attempt to draw her from the shadows in which she resided. Slithering up a tree, she looked down upon the group that was baying for her blood and she felt a laugh begin to stir within her. They had come in numbers this time, it seemed that half the village had come for her. Though they outnumbered her by a great margin, she was not worried and she crooned in satisfaction. The men were shielding the women, she could see the females huddled together with their heads bowed in prayer._

 _The rest of the group was made up of men, and they had surrounded their child-bearers in a protective circle. Again, she laughed. These cats called themselves hunters, yet she could see how frightened the majority of them were. The farm implements they were toting were little more than twigs to her, though some did carry spears, but those crude instruments did little to sway her. From her vantage point, she could see them advance with stalwart resolve, they looked to be a brave group of multi-colored cats, but they could not hide their true feelings and she closed her eyes to focus on her other senses. Their fear washed over her in a flood, it was thick and titillating and she bristled in anticipation. She drunk in deeply, savoring their growing fear, cats always had the sweetest tasting fears. She was hungry and watching her prey deliver themselves right to her home was quite the wonderful surprise._

 _But the night was still young, she had plenty of time to toy with the sheep before feasting. She drew back and with the sound of some giant sheet unfurling, a pair of great membranous wings unfolded from the dark that enshrouded her. The night had quickly fallen still, nothing dared stir among the trees and this filled her with a certain kind of smugness. The forest and its inhabitants knew who she was and they were right in fearing her, even though she had no interest in feeding on them. The villlage she had stumbled upon one dreary night had been filled to the brim with these walking cats._

 _Though the fur was annoying at times, she could not pass up the chance to enjoy herself and she drooled at the prospect of another feast. After all, she was hungry, the bones that littered the floor of her den were picked clean. She needed more and here they were, how nice of them. She took flight, her wings blew a gale of wind that whistled through the trees and branches underneath her snapped as she pushed off with her powerful legs. The glow of fire was now fading, they had heard her take flight and instead of facing their inevitable death with courage, they had decided to flee like the cowards they were. It mattered little, she would feed tonight and there was nothing they could do to stop her. She dived into the tree-line and soared after the retreating group at a speed no mortal thing could match. Before she had made any considerable distance, she smelt warm flesh and she realized that the scent was close._

 _A bit ahead of her, a lone man was cowering behind a low bush, his fear had frozen him in place. She could hear his beating heart and the closer she got to the cowering insect, the louder it became. She reached the man in seconds and she dipped low with a clawed hand. She struck him at lethal speeds and his head came off at the neck with a loud snap that echoed through the silent forest. The still twitching body fell to the forest floor, sending up a small cloud of leaves that settled over the corpse like a blanket._

 _She left the body where it lay, she would come back for it at a later time. There was more meat waiting for her, all she had to do was follow their scent. From the direction she was traveling, she surmised that the cats were heading for the small clearing they called home. This complicated matters, she could fight them but not out in the open and she briefly entertained the thought of going back to the meat she had left behind. She shook her head with a dismissive growl, she was hungry and she would feast on them all. She had been growing tired of the insect's stupid games and she wanted to sleep until more of the inept animals arrived. They would not stop pursuing her until they were all dead and she flew faster, their scent was getting stronger now._

 _With a screech that could shatter glass, she broke from the dark tree line and soared high into the impenetrable darkness. The night's sky would provide her with optimal cover and she could watch them flitter about in a panic. She circled their small village where a fire was burning and she growled deeply. Fire, she hated fire and she cursed whoever had discovered it. The heat wasn't so bad, she particularly despised the light as it would burn her skin like no other. She dropped down to get a closer look, recoiling viciously when something bright shot past her with a whistle. Whatever it had been, it had torn a small hole in a wing and she could smell her burning flesh. Her blood boiled with rage, how dare they strike at her!_

 _They should be revering her, but instead they curse and spit at the very mention of her existence. She abandoned her hunt in favor of a massacre and started her descent, folding in her wings to generate the maximum amount of speed. She knew who had fired that projectile at her, he had another burning arrow centered on her and she aimed directly for the cat. When she was close enough, her wings opened wide to slow her and she reached for the insect who dared attack her. She could see his eyes, they were wild with fear, but this cat stood his ground and when she was right on top of him, he loosed his arrow directly into her shoulder. At first, she did not register the burning pain in her shoulder, nor the sizzle of her flesh as it was cauterized._

 _She fell on the man, making sure to plant her foot onto his knee. The knee shattered beneath her foot, she felt the weak bone crumple away and she smirked inwardly when the man screamed. She drove an open palm into his face, her full weight was behind this strike and his head was crushed between her hand and the hard ground, his scream was silenced before it could finish. She rose to her full height, the body under her twitched twice before lying still. She turned to the other insects, the men were advancing yet the women were still huddled together. Her wings shrunk away, they weren't needed now and she pulled the arrow from her shoulder with a hateful growl. Pain, she had not felt that in some time._

 _The men were closer now and she stood still, the body of the bastard who shot her cooling between her feet. Another cat, this one's fur was colored a deep gray, moved to her as if to strike her with his pick-axe and she was upon him before anyone could react. She clenched her hand into a scoop and plunged it into his chest, his rib-cage gave way like it was made of sticks and she gripped his frantically beating heart firmly. The cat had no time to utter even a squeak as she wrenched the quivering muscle from his chest and burst it between her fingers. He was dead before he knew it and she threw the pulpy mess away, the warm liquid that ran down her hand reminded her of her hunger but she ignored it. She focused on her anger and she lunged again, this time impaling a young cat in his late teens through the gut._

 _She lifted him from the ground and drove another hand into the screaming lad. Before either of the men could do anything to help, she flexed her arms and tore the teen in two so easily, he may as well have been made of paper. The two twitching halves that had been the boy thudded to the ground on either side of her and she raised her black eyes to the trembling cat closest to her. The fear was too great for this man, who had snow white hair hanging down to his shoulders, and he fell to the ground clutching his chest._

 _She could hear the rapid spasms of his heart and she stomped viciously, crushing his head like an over-ripe watermelon. She noticed again that the women were still huddled together and she smiled, huddling only made it easier to fell them with a single strike. She stepped to a young cat who looked to be in his twenties, said cat was brandishing a pitchfork at her. He swung blindly and succeeded in grazing her across the arm, she snarled and responded in kind, aiming for the soft skin of his throat. Much to her surprise, he managed to duck under her splayed claws and jabbed at her mid-section, the prongs that sank into her became rimmed with blood. She smirked, their actions were only delaying the inevitable, every bite of pain she endured only fueled her rage._

 _Wrapping a hand around the pitchfork's wooden handle, she forced the makeshift weapon through her and placed a soft hand on the cat's shoulder. Whether he was too scared or surprised that she had done this was not revealed as she jerked his head to the side and sank her teeth into his throat. The other villagers, believing she was now at a disadvantage, rushed her as she tore a wet chunk from the man's neck. He fell onto his back, his hands going to his throat in a vain attempt to quell the river of crimson that flowed from the gaping hole in his throat. She swallowed, grimacing as the fur tickled at her throat and her hunger dissipated enough for her boiling rage to completely take her over._

 _Though she had a pitchfork embedded in her, she moved like a snake and had her hand around another man's neck before anyone could so much as blink. She clenched with all her might and she felt satisfaction as the bone turned to powder in her grip, the struggling cat's movements ceased instantly. The women were speaking now, chanting in fact. What the words were, she did not know but they filled her with some strange new sense. It was cold and she felt a shiver run down her back, was this fear?_

 _She flung the limp body in her hand at the women but her shot went wide and missed. Their chanting continued unabated and she noticed that their voices were growing in volume. There was still men between her and the small group of females and she strained to listen to the words they were speaking. A kitten no older than twelve stepped from behind the chanting women, he was staring at her with wide, fearful eyes. She saw this as her chance and she sent a sliver of shadow to the boy. It burrowed into his mind and she willed him to run to her, so she could embrace him. Without hesitation, the boy broke into a lumbering run, heading straight for her. He was well aware of what was happening but he couldn't stop himself, she had him now and she would use his death to break the concentration of one of the women. One of the men saw this, moved to block the child's path and shouted an urgent warning to the women._

 _They responded with a loud chant that sent a shockwave through her very core. In that very instant, she realized what they were trying to do and she cursed them angrily. How dare these insects use this kind of power against her, it was nothing short of blasphemy. Her will was momentarily broken by another shockwave, this one was stronger than the one before and the shadow she had sent to the boy shattered. The boy looked around fearfully and at the behest of one of the men, ran for one of the huts that dotted the village. She roared in anger and fear, she was not going anywhere, she will not be banished. These people were nothing but insects and she would crush every single one of them under her feet. Like lightening, she darted forward and struck the man that had warned the women in the side with an open hand, caving in his rib-cage._

 _The air exploded from him in a loud grunt and he went down as she moved for her next target, a well-built older cat with a spear. He went for her face but she dodged to the side and hit him in the shoulder. The socket shattered in her grip and she hooked a claw into his cheek. Though her victim was able to scream, it wasn't for long as she tore his lower jaw from his face and threw the useless piece of bone over her shoulder. She moved forward again but another shockwave hit her, making her stumble in pain. The women were chanting faster, they knew how close she was and they were scared, she could smell it. She pounced over the dwindling group of protectors and managed to dig her claws into the back of one of the women. The woman was hoisted screaming into the air, where she lost the top half of her head to a set of razor sharp teeth. One of the women gave in to her fear and turned to run but was felled by a strike that broke her spine in two. There was three left and she reached for the youngest of the three with a bloody hand._

 _But before she could lay her hand upon the shivering girl, a spear burst through her chest and she dropped to one knee. A set of heavy hands pushed her onto her stomach and the spear was forced deeper until it pierced the ground, pinning her to the spot. The women backed away from her flailing claws, their chants were reaching their climax and she screamed in rage and denial. These weaklings were naught but sheep, how and where could they have learned this kind of power?_

 _She planted her hands into the ground and pushed, the spear pinning her gave a little but another spear pierced her. The darkness beside her was parting, it shimmered like silver and she tried again to escape. She was forced to the ground as the women's words filled her ears, she coughed and the dirt beneath her puffed up in small clouds. This was not right, these sheep were her prey, this was not happening. She roared in agony, flailing her powerful limbs at anyone she could, but she was unsuccessful. The women raised their eyes to hers and they spoke one word. The sudden pain that engulfed her was indescribable, it was as if every bone in her body was being systematically broken and she could feel the power their chanted words held. She needed to escape, to get away and curl up in the cool dark. One of the women stepped forward and removed her hood._

 _She was the eldest of the three and this cat with striking blue fur glared down at her. There was no fear in her eyes, only hate and the female cat spoke again, another single word that reverberated throughout her head. A thunderclap exploded above, fire coursed through every vein in her body and suddenly, she was gone from that small village. Though her eyes were open, she could see nothing, except for the never-ending dark that assailed her vision. Her rage knew no bounds and she lashed out at her surroundings, she was trapped in this vortex of nothing, perhaps forever. She screeched, her fury escaping her in long, drawn out screams. After she had screamed herself hoarse, she sent out dozens of tendrils in the vain hope that they had made a mistake in the chant. The women had been in a rush, the words they had spoken were complicated and they could have mispronounced one of the more important verses._

 _She gave up after what felt like hours, there was nothing, not even a crack. She knew there was nothing to do now but sleep. With a growl, she closed her eyes. As she felt her mind leave her body, she understood that she would most likely sleep in the dark forever. But maybe, in the many years to come, the words that bound her to this empty place might lose their strength. And when they did, she would break free from her prison, she would find the people responsible for her unjust imprisonment and she would feast._

* * *

 **AN: It's short, I know. But it's a prologue, not a complete chapter. I don't want to give too much away straight up. Hopefully you did enjoy this and the first chapter will be up some time in the future. As for the Joy Virus, that went nowhere, unfortunately. I was halfway through the second chapter after finishing the first and it just...stopped. I still have it though and hopefully, I can continue it at a later date, but for now, I have this one. Have a good one, guys!**


	2. Simultas

**AN: Apologies for taking forever to get this chapter up. Lots of shit going on. But I never forgot about you guys. Right, first off. The name of this chapter is Latin. It has multiple meanings as most, if not all, Latin words do. Mainly it means, hate, grudge, animosity. That kind of thing. Anyway, enjoy! As usual, my stories tend to be bat-shit insane, so please don't get offended. Thank you!**

Malevolence

Part One: The Influence Will Shatter The Chains

 _The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear-H.P Lovecraft_

Chapter One

Simultas

* * *

"What's our next class?"

"Simian's."

"Ugh, great."

Darwin nodded in agreement at the cat before him. "Exactly how I feel, man."

Gumball sank further into his chair, the lunch his mother had packed sat untouched before him. Outside, the laughter of playing children wafted through the open windows. The sunlight filtered lazily into the cafeteria and Gumball pinched the bridge of his nose. After the night he had suffered through, food was the last thing on his mind. He wanted to curl up somewhere and try to forget the images that were burnt into his memory. The conversations going on around him did little to help him either. Seated across from Gumball was Darwin. The fish took a healthy bite from his sandwich, waved at Carrie then turned his attention to his brother. Frowning when he realized his brother wasn't his jovial self, Darwin placed his sandwich down.

"You okay?"

"No, but thanks for asking."

Darwin's frown grew deeper, his sandwich now sat before him, forgotten. "Wanna tell me what it is?"

"I didn't get much sleep last night," Gumball replied, poking at his lunch.

"It's not just the lack of sleep that's bothering you, so tell me the whole story," Darwin said, leaning forward a little in his seat.

"You'll laugh if I tell you."

"You know I won't."

Gumball sighed and pushed his lunch away. "Fine. I had a nightmare last night."

"It's just a dream, man. You know it can't hurt you."

"Yeah, that's the thing. It didn't feel like a dream, it felt like I was really there," Gumball said, he had dropped his voice to a low whisper.

"Nightmares usually do that. They can be very vivid sometimes," Darwin replied, he threw his half eaten sandwich into a paper bag.

"I see where you're coming from, but this nightmare was just so...real."

"What happened in your nightmare?"

Gumball sighed and shook his head. "I don't remember everything. I was flying through some dark forest, then the dream kinda jumps and I'm attacking a bunch of cats."

"Cats? Do you remember what they looked like?"

"No, this part I barely remember. The thing that really sticks with me is that the cats were scared of me, but they kept attacking me. It was like they didn't have a choice."  
"Were they protecting something?," Darwin asked, he'd never heard of a dream like this.

Before Gumball could answer his brother's question, the bell rang. The cafeteria around the two brothers burst into movement, the room steadily filling with the ceaseless clamor of children. Gumball left his lunch behind, he wasn't hungry at all. Darwin finished his sandwich in two quick bites, then pitched the empty bag into a nearby bin. The fish caught up with his brother and when he'd matched his speed with Gumball's, Darwin spoke up.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Were the cats in your dream protecting something?"

Gumball thought for a bit, then shook his head. "I don't know, I only remember what I told you."

"Do you think your nightmare symbolizes something in your life?"

"If it does, then I don't want to know what it is," Gumball replied, shivering slightly.

"I think you're right, The more you dwell on your dream, the longer it'll stay with you."

The cat shrugged, stopping to open his locker. "I hope you're right about that, man."

"It's probably a one off thing anyway," Darwin said, he leaned against the wall of lockers and crossed his fins.

Gumball shrugged in response as he searched his locker. His notebook had fallen down behind a stack of textbooks. After some annoyed grunts, Gumball freed his prize from its prison. A small photo slid out from between the pages and Gumball hastily caught it. As he gave the photo a quick peek, the beginnings of a smile began to appear on his face. But as his mind connected the dots, his smile abruptly vanished.

"Darwin, look at this."

Darwin moved to look over the cat's shoulder. The photo Gumball showed the fish was of their parents. The cat and rabbit were entwined in each other's arms, a smile on both their faces.

"What about it?"

Gumball tapped a finger on the photo, his finger came to rest over his mother. "Mom was in my dream too. Right at the end before I woke up."

"Did she say anything?"

Gumball slid the photo into a book, then closed his locker with a bang. The sound echoed through the empty corridor. Gumball shook his head befoer turning to his brother.

"No, she just...stared at me. No, wait! She did say something, but it was in some weird language."

"Then I suppose we'll have to talk to Mrs. Mom about it when we get home."

"No! I don't want to bother Mom with such childish things. You've seen how tired she's been lately," Gumball half shouted, his eyes filled with concern.

Darwin clicked his tongue. " Yeah, about that. Why is she so tired all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, I've asked her about it. But instead of answering me, she just changed the subject," Gumball said dismally.

"Is she hiding something? Like an illness?"

"Nah, Mom wouldn't hide something like that," Gumball said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I agree. Well, your nightmare was just some weird dream your mind cooked up. It probably means nothing anyway."

"It's most likely just a coincidence, right?," Gumball said, nodding.

Darwin's answer was a shrug and Gumball responded with a meek laugh. As they set off for their current class, Gumball was suddenly struck with the odd sensation. It felt like he was being watched. A quick scan of his surroundings brought up nothing, but the morbid feeling in his gut did not dissipate. He tried to clear his muddled head with a shake, and this seemed to cure his condition somewhat. But he could still feel the dread swirling in the pit of his stomach. He was worried, even though he didn't know why.

* * *

 _Thunder rumbled overhead, awakening the creature from its eternal slumber. She twisted and undulated, moving with slow, deliberate steps. Her eyes widened in surprise and she drew in a great hiss. Where there was once impenetrable darkness, there was now light. The first thing she had realized was the simple fact that the light was having no affect on her. Whereas the light from the sun would burn her skin, this light felt more cold than warm. Something crackled behind her and she spun, claws and teeth bared. Though she did not spot anything that would be a threat, she did utter a strained curse. Her prison was filled with strange artifacts. Many islands made of rock floated about, each island laden with things unknown to her._

 _She spread her wings and flew to the nearest island, each flap made her wings crack from lack of use. Landing with a soft thud, her gaze was drawn to a large purple box. It was wider than her, but not taller. The box was covered in murals, she could not read the strange words emblazoned across this box. Dragging a curious claw across its surface left a white scratch on the box's surface. This was some strange new thing to her and she tapped a finger on a hard, transparent substance. On a whim, she enclosed her hand into a fist and struck. Whatever the substance was, it was horribly weak and it shattered under her strength. She withdrew her hand at the sudden biting pain and she regarded the deep lacerations running along her fingers with mild contempt. A defense mechanism of some kind?_

 _Whatever this thing was, she let it be as a blue hut in the distance caught her eye. Curiosity overcame her and she slithered to the house. Coming to rest in the shadow cast by the building, she moved to an open window and peered in. The house was empty but dark, and that suited her just fine. She entered soundlessly, pausing when she heard someone sneeze. Following the sound, she spotted a strange creature standing on the front lawn. She moved toward him, her stomach growled as the scent of warm flesh reached her. She prepped herself and pounced, the creature before her turned at the sound. She caught a glimpse of a single eye under a mop of brown hair before this boy jumped backwards away from her._

 _Her outstretched hand barely missed the boy as he got to his feet and ran. She broke into run, her wings unfurling to catch the wind. She left the ground, flapped once and fell to the ground with a roar as a wave of exhaustion crashed over her. She was much weaker than she thought and she picked herself up off the ground, her wings folding away as she brushed the dirt from her stomach. She watched angrily as the strange blue skinned creature jumped onto a floating rock. He then resumed his mad dash, screaming as he went. She was much too weak to hunt right now and she growled hatefully. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she turned and went back into the darkened house._

 _She could wait until that thing dropped its guard, then she could catch him unawares. But until then, she needed to sleep and regain what little energy she had left. After finding the darkest corner in one of the darkest rooms, she curled up and allowed herself to drift away. As she slept, the sky above the blue house shimmered weakly. The city of Elmore briefly appeared, it flickered twice before winking out of existence._

* * *

The sound of a ringing bell made Nicole's ears perk up and she turned her eyes to the doors of Elmore Junior High School, a smile on the her face. Like clockwork, the doors were flung open and a sea of children cascaded down the stairs in a flood of colors. Nicole watched the seemingly endless flow of kids for her own children. Amidst the rushing color, Nicole spied a flash of blue and she smiled wider as her eldest son came into view. His two younger siblings flanked him like a pair of shadows and Nicole waved at them happily. Though Anais and Darwin replied with their own variant of a wave, Gumball did not answer her. He never even afforded her so much as blink in her direction. Nicole's smile faltered a little, but she hid it well as she opened the doors for the trio.

Gumball took his seat beside his mother while Anais and Darwin sat in the rear. The two in the back shouted a greeting to Nicole, whereas Gumball remained quiet. Concern shifted within her, but Nicole ignored it f or the time being and she checked her side mirror for approaching cars. Deeming it safe to proceed, she gunned the engine and took off. Halfway to their home, Nicole snuck a peek at her son, who still hadn't said a word. Worried, Nicole spoke up as they sat at a red light.

"How was your day, kids?," she said, her eyes stayed on Gumball.

"Great!," came two voices from the back.

"What about you, honey?"

"Yeah, it was good," Gumball replied, his lie fell flat.

Nicole reached out to her son and rubbed his shoulder warmly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," was the reply.

She left him alone after that. Turning back to the road before her, Nicole made a mental note to speak to him later on. Preferably when they were alone. Maybe then he would be in a better mood. The light before the Watterson's car flashed green and Nicole drove on, her mind running pell-mell.

* * *

As the Watterson's car drove on, a brightly colored man appeared from the darkening streets. He sported a blue mustache and a small tie hung limply from his neck. Harold paused to stretch his aching ankles, his jog was being a bitch tonight. After relieving some of the mild pain, he readjusted his earphones and set off again. His feet slapped the pavement in a loud pattern, and Harold turned his music up louder. He took a sharp left and turned into the deserted park, intending to cut his run short so he could get home faster. He was getting hungry. He'd made it halfway when someone caught Harold's eye. This person was standing a little to his right, she was obscured in shadows. As Harold neared, he realized the streetlamp above this person was out and he suddenly felt afraid.

This unknown could be a mugger fir all he knew and Harold slowed considerably. Removing his earphones, Harold was struck with a sense of awe as he noticed how silent the place had become. Usually the park was quite loud with animal activity, but tonight seemed to be different. This small jolt of knowledge unnerved him slightly, and Harold slowed even more. He was now walking quite slowly and as he neared this person, Harold quickly noticed the wide hips and long hair. He made a small sound and raised his eyes to her face. He blinked twice in astonishment, she was _beautiful_. Harold quickly realized his jaw had dropped and he shut his mouth with haste.

Harold stepped up to this woman and was about to ask her what she was doing when he was, once again, shocked into silence. Like Harold, she was rainbow colored, but unlike the dumbstruck man, she was also quite naked. She gave him a smile that scared Harold more than anything. And even though his stomach was becoming a swirling maelstrom of fear, Harold couldn't help being completely engrossed in this strange woman. She gestured wordlessly, walking backwards. Against his better judgment, Harold followed her into the trees. She paused once to look back at the man and she smiled again, this time the smile elicited a strong urge of want. She waited patiently for Harold to catch up and when he was inches away from her, she moved away to disappear into the darkness. Harold stopped at the tree she had been standing at, he could hear her moving away from him.

Harold moved quickly, he suddenly wanted to see this woman. He'd never seen her before and now he was following her like a puppy. Without a second thought, Harold went in after her. The crunch of her feet on the dead leaves blanketing the ground were growing fainter, and Harold began to move faster. Every now and then, he would catch a glimpse of her from behind a tree and he whimpered softly whenever he lost sight of her. After what felt like centuries, Harold stumbled from the darkness and found himself in a small clearing. It had to be only a few meters in length and he saw the woman standing in the center. He went to her and she made no move to push him away, in fact, she seemed to want him to hold her. As Harold drew her into his arms, her scent him full force and he was suddenly painfully hard. Her scent was akin to liquid fire and Harold felt the lust in her scent burn through every nerve in his body.

He grew weak at the knees and he made no protest when she pushed him onto his back. She straddled his waist and Harold finally got a look at her face. She was incredibly beautiful, her face looked to be made of porcelain instead of flesh. Her eyes were flawless and she bent down to kiss him. Their lips met explosively and every thought Harold had of his family was washed away in a tidal wave of animalistic lust. As she moved against him, Harold felt himself enter her and he exhaled sharply. She gyrated her hips and as he stared into her face, her eyes began to lose their light. This didn't bother Harold one bit, his mind was no longer his. Afterwards, Harold appeared from the dark like some apparition. The man looked right then left before heading home. He was hungry after all.

* * *

"When's dinner ready, Richard?"

The rabbit poked his head over the counter. "Ten more minutes, honey."

Nicole nodded in reply and returned to her attention back to the television. Seated to her right, Darwin and Anais were in the middle of a conversation. Darwin nodded solemnly at his sister.

"You noticed it too, huh? I mean, it was pretty obvious," the fish said, he raised his eyes to Nicole when she turned to him.

"What was obvious?"

"Gumball's mood," Darwin replied and Anais nodded.

"Yeah, I saw that too when I got in the car," she said, the girl gave her mother a glance.

"As did I. Do you know why he was upset, Darwin?," Nicole was surprised to see the fish shake his head.

"I do, but he told me not to tell you," Nicole was slightly taken aback at this information and she needed more now.

"Why on Earth did he say that for?," Nicole asked, Darwin was obviously reluctant to talk but he answered her regardless.

"Because he's worried about you."

Love bloomed within her momentarily before her concern overwhelmed it. "Why would Gumball be worried about me?"

"He said you've been really tired lately."

"Yes, I haven't been sleeping very well," Nicole said, both kids before her gasped.

"Are you okay, Mom?," Anais said, she scooted closer.

"Yes, I'm fine, honey. Thank you."

"You're not sick?," Darwin asked, he also moved closer.

Nicole brought the two children into a hug. "No, I'm not sick. Just tired."

"You're not just saying that?," Darwin asked, Nicole hugged the two children even tighter.

"No, sweetie. I'm fine," Nicole managed a small smile. "Now can you tell me why Gumball is upset?"

Darwin sat back, shaking his head. "No, I can't, Mrs. Mom. You'll have to talk to him."

"I'll speak to him now or I'll end up forgetting. Give me a shout when dinner is ready, okay?"

The children nodded as Nicole left them to head upstairs, she gave the duo another smile to placate their worries. As she ascended the stairs, the dark bathroom drew Nicole's attention. The dark sent a chill down her back and Nicole hurriedly switched on the light, her eyes stinging slightly at the sudden burst of light. The room was clearly empty and Nicole scolded herself for being silly. She was a grown woman, the dark shouldn't be frightening her like that. She laughed at her silliness as she opened the door to Gumball's bedroom. He was where she expected him to be, on his bed. She sat next to her son, he glanced at her silently and she smiled at him. He did not return it.

"Gumball, what's happened that's upset you?"

"Nothing," was the short reply.

"Sweetie, you're clearly in a bad mood. Tell me what's wrong."

"No."

"Come on, Gummypuss. Tell me what's upsetting you," Nicole said, she tried to turn him over with her hand.

Gumball pushed his mother's hand away from his shoulder. "No."

"Sweetheart, let me help you," Nicole insisted, she leaned over her son to see his face.

"Mom, it's childish. You don't need to know," Gumball said, he shrunk away from her touch.

Her heart wept for the boy and she picked him up in her arms. Almost instantly, Gumball fought against her in an attempt to escape, but she pressed him against her chest in a hug. She held him tightly and his struggles slowed until they were no more. Nicole moved slightly and kissed her son on the cheek. This elicited a sigh from the boy and she loosened her grip.

"Tell me what's wrong, honey. I'm here for you," she whispered, kissing the boy again for good measure.

"Mom, it's stupid. You have more important things to worry about."

Nicole shook her head at her son. "Nothing is more important than my kids. I'm not letting you go until you tell me what happened at school today."

"What has me upset didn't happen at school," he stopped momentarily to sigh. "I had a nightmare."

"Oh Gummypuss, it was just a-."

"Darwin already said that. It didn't feel like one," Gumball said, expertly cutting her off with his curtness.

"Can you remember anything?"

"No, I don't."

Nicole released her son and moved back a little. "Then try to, sweetheart. I'll be here to help, okay?"

Gumball was reluctant to say anything about the dream to his mother. She looked so tired right now and making her worry about him was the last thing Gumball wanted to do. But there was no way she would allow him to go downstairs until he told her, she'd made that very clear. Gumball rubbed his eyes before speaking, he felt so very tired. But with his mother beside him, he began to speak. It only took the boy half an hour to tell his mother everything he could recall. But while there was still love in her eyes, something else was present. She'd hidden it so easily, Gumball had completely missed it. What was it?

Fear.

* * *

Tobias was damn happy right now. His belly was full with his mother's well-cooked dinner and now, he was on a winning streak with his new game. Popping on his headphones, the boy laughed loudly as he blasted through the easiest level he had ever seen. He was having so much fun that he did not hear the front door open and shut. The TV before him glowed brightly, the pixelated shapes danced before the laughing child. His mother's voice spoke up, asking her husband how his run had been. There was an answer, but it was too soft to hear. Again, Tobias' mother spoke, her voice now sounded slightly worried. Tobias shouted again, he truly was having the time of his life. From the other side of the door, his father spoke.

His voice was softer than before and his wife's voice raised a few decibels. Silence followed for a few minutes and Tobias removed his headphones to scratch at his ears. He put them back on and turned the volume up even louder. Tobias snickered quietly as he pressed the start button on his game, this level was going to be a cinch. As Tobias pumped his fist in the air happily, a shrill scream pierced the still night air. The fearful cry was short-lived, however, as a sickening crunch cut it off instantly.

Tobias removed his headphones again to listen, a frown growing on his face. He was sure someone had screamed, but then again, it could've just been his game. Timidly, Tobias placed his controller down and got to his feet. He shuffled over to his door and reached for the handle, his fear growing slowly. Something stopped him though and the boy placed an ear to the wood panels. Someone exhaled loudly directly in his ear and Tobias yelped, falling back onto his ass. As the shaking boy shuffled back, the door opened with a creak and his father stepped in. His father 's face and upper body was streaked with crimson, and Tobias moaned softly when he saw the majority of the gore was centered around his father's mustache. Hanging limply in his father's right hand was a claw hammer, the business end was matted with blood and what looked to be blue colored hair.

Before his father closed the door behind him, Tobias caught a glimpse of something lying in a heap on the floor near the foot of the stairs. The shapeless form glistened wetly in the dim light and Tobias' racing mind caught a flash of crimson contrasting on blue before the door obscured his view. Tobias shuffled back and his father cocked his head, as if he was watching his son's open display of fear with amusement.

The shaking boy tried to speak but when he made eye contact with his smiling father, all thoughts of talk fled his shrieking mind. There was nothing left of Harold, his father's normally bright and happy eyes were now devoid of life. They might as well have been made of glass, and Tobias could swear he saw something black flitter about within his father's dead eyes. The man, who had once been Tobias' loving father, took a menacing step forward and Tobias whimpered fearfully, shuffling back further. The thing that had been Tobias' father stepped forward once again, and Tobias repeated his previous reaction. His back thumped up against the still running TV and Tobias pulled his knees into his chest. The thing before him cocked its head again, it smiled even wider this time and the frightened boy saw the glistening teeth nestled in what used to be his father.

They looked more like needles than teeth and the thing dropped its hammer, the loud thud made Tobias jump. The thing took another step forward and Tobias begged it to go away, his voice shook with fear as he burst into tears. As what would be Tobias' last words left his mouth, the lights in the house flickered then went out. Outside the Wilson's house, a rat poked its head out from a trash can as a scream tore through the air. The rat returned to the half-eaten bacon scraps, and it continued to eat long into the night. It didn't even stop feeding when a man, covered head to toe in what was easily fresh blood walked past. This man walked into the garage, humming softly to himself as he searched for something important. He smiled when his eyes fell upon the metallic object. Picking up the jerry can, the man smiled knowingly as the fuel inside sloshed about.

Armed with the jerry can, this man walked back into his house, all the while he continued humming to himself. He went past the two mutilated and unrecognizable heaps on the floor and trudged upstairs into the master bedroom. Once he arrived, this once family oriented man upended the jerry can onto himself. The sickly sweet stench of fuel made him gag and he pushed his disgust away as he threw the empty can to the floor. Though the darkness around him was absolute, he easily found what he was after and he held the small, plastic item tightly to his chest.

There was a small click and the thing masquerading as Harold became a tower of living fire. As the dying man fell to his knees, the loathsome thing enshrouding his mind fled into the night, leaving Harold to his fate. And in that instant, Harold's mind was his again, though only for a few seconds. In his final fleeting moments of life, Harold knew what he had done and he used his final breath to vent his anguish. His wail wound down like an old record and Harold fell to the floor completely as life left him. The house became a raging inferno in a matter of seconds, and when emergency services finally arrived, the house had been reduced to nothing but a smoldering ruin.

* * *

 _She jerked awake suddenly and looked around confused. What had just happened to her was strange. She was sure she had just been somewhere, yet like a dream, she couldn't remember where she had been. Maybe that's all it had been?_

 _She stood silently, her stomach growled and she pressed a hand to her belly. Yes, all right! It was time to hunt. Wherever that blue creature had gone, it wouldn't be that difficult to find. He was the only source of warm flesh in this place. She left her home and gazed around, how long had she been asleep? Years?_

 _She had no real grasp on time here and this annoyed her. As she left the ground, she thought back to what little her dream she could recall. She had been in a small forest or clearing. There were trees all around her, yet there was also a great many lights. A man had approached her, yet she hadn't slaughtered him. Her eyes grew wide suddenly and she had to land as she was struck with a sense of astonishment. She had been out there. Her consciousness had seeped out of her prison like a poison and she'd found some animal thing. She couldn't remember anything else but she smiled regardless. Her hunt was now forgotten and she turned to fly back home, her smile still hadn't left her face. If she could escape this place as she slept, than that meant the words that bound her here were weakening. She landed on the front lawn. She raised her head to the sky and laughed, it was only a matter of time now._

* * *

 **AN: Woo! First chapter is finally up, time to go have a party, yeah? Again, sorry for taking forever. I will see you all next time! As always, please let me know about any spelling mistakes. I always miss them when I proofread cause fuck me, right? Have a good one, guys!**


	3. Harrowing News

**AN: Chapter 2 is finally up. Apologies for taking so long. I've been inundated with work. With Christmas being so close, I've been flat out and now with family coming over to stay, it's just been crazy. But I never forgot, that's the main thing. Better late than never, amirite? Anyway, enjoy and I'll see you down the bottom.**

Malevolence

Chapter 2

Harrowing News

* * *

 _The young cat awoke abruptly, the stillness of the night was the very first thing he noticed. He slid deeper into his covers, his breath escaping in short gasps. He could swear he had dreamed that footstep on the other side of his door. His window was open, which raised his fright to higher levels. He had shut it before retiring to his bed. The moon had slinked behind a blanket of clouds and the room the boy occupied was pitch black. He raised his fur blanket up a little to investigate, all the while his entire body shook with fear. He could just make out the outline of the candle his mother had left him, and the boy's heart leapt into his mouth. Something had extinguished the flame while he slept. He remembered his mother's promise that the light from the candle would keep Her away. He thought about the way his mother had set the candle down and explained everything._

 _She basically begged him to do as she said, her worry for his well-being had been clearly evident upon her face. He had decided to follow his mother's request instead of pursuing the subject any further. Talking about Her did naught but upset his mother. He thought of Her this time, this thing that was made of dark and fear. The village Elders called Her an abomination, a mistake. He knew this as he had been eavesdropping on them during one of their nightly gatherings. He knew full well it was dangerous to be out at night, but his curiousness had gotten the better of him. The Elders had been speaking in hushed tones, but he was a cat and his hearing was quite good for one his age. He had learnt a great many things about Her while he listened to his Elders' voices. Apparently, She held a great many names, but the majority of those names were never meant for the tongue of man. But before the Elders could say anything else, his mother had appeared from the dark like a ghost and clapped a hand over his shoulder._

 _The resulting shock had made him faint dead away and he awoke in his bed as the sun shone liberally through his wondow. His mother had been standing over him like an eternal guardian and he braced himself for the beating of his life. But instead of punishing the boy, the blue cat had sat beside him and pulled him into one of the warmest hugs he had ever experienced. She had spoken to him as he buried his face into her chest, her words had been soft yet stern. She'd told him that the dark was too dangerous to be frolicking in. You could be sharing your hiding space with Her and never even know it, she had said._

 _He had been overly relieved that all he had received was just a small scolding. His mother's disciplinary ways were legendary. But the worry in his mother's eyes, coupled with the way her voice shook as she spoke, made the boy promise to never go outside again during the night. But now, hidden under his blankets, he was drowning in the darkness his mother had told him to stay out of. The candle needed to be relit and he threw his blanket from the bed. He froze with his hand out in front of him, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. Even in the dark, he could see that the candle had not simply gone out, it had been crushed out. The wick was buried within the candle wax._

 _There was no chance he would be able to relight it. His mother's room was only a step from his and he moved slowly, his ears primed to pick up any sound. He reached his closed door and opened it slowly, bracing himself incase he came face to face with that thing that prowled the nights. He poked his head out, saw that he was alone and snuck over to his mother's room. Her door was also shut tight. Before he could lay a hand over the doorknob, his mother's voice drifted lazily to him from the front of the house. She wanted to know what he was doing and he answered her quietly. He told his mother's voice that his candle had gone out and he wanted to sleep with her tonight. Her voice came to him again, it sounded lazier than before._

 _She called his name, beckoning him with a voice that was soft as silk. He went to the voice, all the while he wondered why she sounded the same, yet so different._ _She called again, she was practically singing his name. He passed by a window and spotted his mother standing out the front. The moon was out now and he squinted at the woman outside to make sure it was who he hoped. It was definitely her, she was the only cat in the village with blue fur._

 _He moved a little faster now, being beside her would make him feel safe. He pulled on the front door and moaned quietly when it didn't budge. It was locked and in his fear fueled state, he did not take into account how strange it was that the door was locked while his mother was standing outside. He unlocked the door with little difficulty, grunting quietly as a splinter stabbed at his thumb. Wrenching the door open, he ran to the cat outside with open arms. His mother followed his gesture and scooped the boy into her arms. She smiled down at him and he too smiled. He closed his eyes and rested his head against his mother's bosom, finally content with his current predicament. He was with his mother now, he was safe._

 _She watched the child in her arms with eyes that blazed with an inhuman amount of hunger. A gust of wind whistled through the empty forest and the boy suddenly realized the animals in the trees had fallen silent. The woman holding him tightened against him and he opened his eyes, he wondered why she wasn't talking. He smiled up at his mother, but the twisting and blackened face that stared back did not smile back. The boy was shocked still by the grotesque mockery of his mother's face staring back at him and the pause provided her with all the time she needed. With surgical precision, she pushed a claw up and into the boy's chest. Flesh parted like water and her claw pierced, then with a minute twist of her finger, tore the aorta in half. The boy went limp in seconds, all the while she could feel herself positively drooling. The young were always the most tender. With the deed done, she moved to sit among the shadows at the base of a large tree. She did not eat much, this kitten's death was to be a message._

 _As she threw two vertebrae to the side, she could feel a tingling sensation running over her body and she paused to stare into the sky. It was almost morning. It was time she showed who was really the prey here. It didn't take her very long and she departed just as the first rays of sunlight began to appear over the horizon._

 _Four hours later, the blue cat would awake to find what was left of her son adorning the walls of her home._

* * *

Nicole jumped awake with a small yell, her entire body shivered violently in the chilled sweat that clung to her fur. Her adrenaline filled mind was dead certain Gumball was in imminent danger and she was out of bed as fast as possible. She had wrapped her hand around the doorknob before she was able to stop herself. Sighing tiredly, she took her hand from the doorknob and wrapped herself into a hug. Another dream, this one had went for longer than the last. She did not know why she was having them, but she knew it was connected to the nightmare her son had told her about. The thing writhing in the dark had to be involved as well, but thinking of that particular subject only upset her more. A friendly pair of arms wound themselves around her chest, giving Nicole a small fright. The arms tightened in response to her jump and Nicole caught a whiff of a familiar cologne. Without turning, she muttered a small thank you to her husband.

"Another one?," Richard whispered, he kissed the side of her head lovingly making Nicole lean into the kiss.

"Yes," she replied, she was barely speaking above a whisper.

"Want to talk about it?"

Nicole shook her head. "No. It's for me to sort out, but thank you for asking, Richard."

"I'm here if you need me."

Nicole turned in his grip and kissed the man. "I know you are, and I appreciate your concern. But this is something I need to face myself."

"Understood, but if you ever need my help, you only need to ask."

"I know, thank you."

Richard gave his wife one last squeeze before releasing her. "Come on, it's still pretty early. Come on back to bed."

Nicole nodded in agreement and joined the rabbit in bed, where she fell asleep entwined in her husband's arms.

* * *

Somewhere in the city of Elmore, a clock hung on a pale green wall all by its lonesome. It clicked quietly as time went by and the big hand moved so slightly it looked like an illusion. The sun could be seen outside, its rays of golden light slowly making their way through the streets of Elmore as their owner rose into the sky. The clock read a quarter past six, and a certain pink colored doughnut checked his watch for the tenth time that morning. He sat back in his chair and readjusted the gleaming badge pinned to his chest. Satisfied the badge was appropriately placed, he bent to pick up the steaming coffee cup that sat between his feet. He took a long drawn out sip before placing the cup back on the floor. Again, he checked his watch before grunting exasperatedly. He sat motionless for another twenty minutes, gazing around the featureless room every few seconds.

He had glanced at his watch another three times before the doors opposite him burst open. A blue and white chicken bucket strode in confidently as the twin doors losed with a hollow bang. The twin orbs hovering above the man's mustache held so little emotion, one could swear they looked to be made from glass. As soon as he saw the man, the doughnut stood and offered the approaching bucket a salute. The bucket waved the other man's salute away before motioning for him to follow with a sharp jerk of the head. After he had met the man's stride, the doughnut cleared his throat.

"What do you need me for, Chief?," he asked as he drank the remainder of his coffee and threw the cup into a nearby bin.

"I have something I need to show you and you're the only one I trust with this," the bucket clearly meant what he had said.

The doughnut was curious. "What is it you need to show me?"

"It concerns the events of last night," the other man replied, his face showed a tidbit of emotion and the doughnut frowned.  
"You're not talking about the incident at the Wilson home, are you? I thought that was written off as nothing but a tragic accident," the doughnut said as his brow furrowed even deeper.

Chicken Bucket stopped, looked around then dropped his voice. "Not so loud. Yes, we originally thought it was an accident. But the coroner has been with the bodies since dawn and he found a couple of things that could be of some interest."

"Already? That scalpel works fast."

"Yeah, anyway he called me not just fourty something minutes ago and informed me that he had found some highly disturbing things."

"Like what, sir?," Doughnut Sheriff asked, he had also dropped his voice to a whisper.

"I won't say it here, I'll show you in the morgue. The coroner is waiting for us as well," Chicken Bucket replied, he began to walk again.

Doughnut Sheriff kept up as best he could. With his short legs, it was a wonder he was able to even run. A cheeseburger waved happily at the doughnut who waved back with a weak smile. The two men came to a silver elevator, from the polished steel of the doors their reflections stared back mournfully. Chicken Bucket pressed the call button and the doors opened silently. They stepped in and Doughnut Sheriff hit the down button as the doors slid shut. As the motor above them kicked in with a resentful clunk, Doughnut Sheriff turned to the fretful man beside him.

"What did the coroner find? You look pretty agitated."

Chicken Bucket scratched his chin before answering. "You can say that again."

"Look, from what I've been told whatever happened at the Wilson home last night was an accident. It was confirmed in some of the first responder's reports."

"No, it wasn't an accident. The coroner told me it was a murder," Chicken Bucket said, he raised his eyes to the bright lights above his head.

"Murder?!," Doughnut Sheriff exclaimed, he shook his head in disbelief. "How did he come to that conclusion?"  
"Like I said, you'll see when we get to the morgue."

After a few seconds, the elevator thudded to a halt. As the doors squeaked open, the two police officers moved quickly. All around them were gray, featureless walls made of concrete. They were the only ones on this floor and their footsteps reverberated around the empty hall. They walked past a door marked 'EVIDENCE' before they turned left and trudged down a short flight of stairs. Doughnut Sheriff could feel the air around him getting colder with every step, the morgue was close. They stopped at blank door made of steel and Chicken Bucket pushed on the handle. The door was locked and the man knocked twice, he had a frown on his face. Doughnut Sheriff moved back as the door was jerked open and a scalpel poked its shiny head through.

"Ah, you're here. Come on in," he said as he vanished back into the morgue.

Doughnut Sheriff allowed the bucket entry before himself. After entering the chilled air of the morgue, Doughnut Sheriff closed the door behind him and moved to stand beside Chicken Bucket. Doughnut Sheriff gazed down at the slab before him and he felt his breakfast churn in his stomach. The corpse before them was scorched well beyond recogniton. The charred skin was drawn taut over the skeletal system as if it had shrivelled in on itself. And in some places, Doughnut Sheriff could see the pale whites of exposed bone. Doughnut Sheriff couldn't tell ass from face as his eyes moved up and down the body. The coroner moved to the other side of the slab and pointed at a computer screen beside him with a gloved finger.

"This is, or was, Harold Wilson. As you can see, the body is very badly burnt. So badly in fact, that we had to use dental records to identify him as his fingerprints are now basically ash."

"Jesus..," Chicken Bucket muttered from under his mustache.

"Judging by the last name, I'm guessing he was related to the other two victims?," Doughnut Sheriff asked and the scalpel nodded.

"Yes, father to the child and husband to the woman. He's also the one who killed them," the coroner said, frowning.

"What tells you that he did it?," Doughnut Sheriff asked.

"A couple of things but let me show you the one that really stands out," the scalpel said as he turned and walked over to a small freezer.

After producing an evidence bag from the appliance, the coroner strode back and plopped the bag onto the slab for the two police officers. The contents of the bag were indecipherable, they looked like two great lumps of squashed meat. Despite feeling his stomach gurgle dangerously, Doughnut Sheriff opened his mouth.

"What's that?"

"That is the contents of Mr. Harold Wilson's stomach and small intestine."

"Oh, nice."

The coroner's frown grew deeper as he pointed at the biggest lump in the bag. "I know it's hard to tell, but that is a heart. This stringy shit here is muscle tissue. The heart and muscle tissue is from the boy. The rest, which is mostly skin and vitreous humor, is from the wife."

"You're telling me that this guy murdered his family, butchered them then-."

Chicken Bucket spoke up, interrupting the doughnut. "Ate them. Yes."

"What the fuck for?"

"We don't know. The toxicology reports are still going through so it'll be a while before we know if this guy was sober or not," Chicken Bucket said, he pulled at his mustache thoughtfully.

The coroner nodded in agreement. "I've only just sent them away."

"How did it all happen?," Doughnut sheriff asked, he was looking at the wall of lockers.

"We can only guess at this point," Chicken Bucket gestured at the corpse on the table before continuing. "But what we think happened is Mr Wilson came home after one of his nightly jogs. What happened directly after he got home is currently unknown. But a little after he arrived at his house, he beat his wife to death with a hammer."

"And the boy?," the doughnut asked, his eyes were wide.

"While we did find the remains of the hammer in another room, it was not used on the boy. We think Mr Wilson dragged his son, who was still alive at this point, into the adjacent room. Which is also where he'd killed his wife."

Chicken Bucket paused as the coroner nodded and pointed at the computer behind him with a thumb.

"I did some tests and from what I can tell he pinned the boy's arms down, most likely with his knees. Obviously this was to keep the boy still. Then, Char here used his fingernails to dig his way into the boy's chest and-."

"Enough! I've heard enough," Doughnut Sheriff said, he looked mighty close to puking and the coroner pointed at a small bin in a dark corner.

"If you're gonna barf, do it in that."

"No, I'll think I'll be fine. Just give me a bit," the doughnut said, he looked rather green instead of his usual pink.

After the nausea in his stomach had settled to tolerable levels, Doughnut Sheriff raised his eyes to Chicken Bucket.

"Any idea on a possible motive?"

"None whatsoever. We've questioned his friends and family and they've all said he was a nice guy. They're all just as shocked as us," the bucket replied as he glanced at the charred remains.

"All right, do you know why he decided to torch himself?"

The coroner was the one who answered. "Guilt? Fear of reprisal? Or maybe it was just a simple double murder suicide?"

"As I said, we simply don't know. As for now, you are to tell any reporters that ask about the case that we are treating the fire as suspicious. And that is all you will say, understood?," Chicken Bucket said.

"Understood, Chief," Doughnut Sheriff replied with a small nod.

"Good. We have absolutely nothing to go on here. It's a horrific murder that seemingly happened for no good reason. So let's hope that the toxicology report has some answers. But until then, keep your eyes and ears open for anything else we can use," the bucket said as he stared into the charred abyss that was once a face.

* * *

"Move over, dude. I've made you some breakfast."

Gumball moved to the side to allow his brother to sit beside him. Darwin offered the cat a bowl of cereal and he took it, muttering a small thank you as he dug in. After Gumball had eaten a couple of spoonfuls, the fish gave him a small tap on the shoulder.

"What's up?," Gumball said, he let his spoon fall into the bowl with a plop.

"How did last night treat you?," Darwin asked, he had moved closer while Gumball had been eating.

"I had another nightmare but it wasn't as bad as the last."

Darwin made a sympathetic sound. "Was it the same as the last?"

"No, this one was weird. Tobias was in it," Gumball replied, he cradled the bowl in his hands as Darwin tried to think of something to say.

"Okay, and what happened with Tobias?"

Gumball began to eat again,his voice came out muffled as he answered. "I don't know. All I remember is standing in the wooded area of the park with nothing but loud footsteps all around me. After that, Tobias appeared for a second then there was fire. Lots of fire."  
"Doesn't sound that bad to be honest."

Gumball chuckled. "Yeah, it wasn't really scary. The part with all the trees was the only creepy bit and it only lasted for a few seconds. I just don't understand the part with all the fire."

"Oh well, at least you look better."

"I slept okay. The nightmare did wake me but I was asleep again in a minute."

Darwin smiled. "That sounds good, dude. Oh, how did the talk with Mrs. Mom go?"

Gumball nodded as he drained the last of his breakfast. "Yeah, okay I suppose. I didn't want to tell her but she practically forced me to describe the dream."

"How did she react to it?," Darwin said, he peeked over the couch to look at Nicole's bedroom door.

"She seemed all good with it. Until I told her about all the cats getting killed. After that, she became distant."

Darwin looked back at Gumball momentarily before glancing back at the brown door. "Distant?"

"It was like she wanted to be somewhere else. Like she suddenly had to do something, it was really weird, dude," Gumball said as he left to wash out his bowl, Darwin stayed put on the couch.

As the young cat entered the kitchen, the brown door that had Darwin's attention opened slowly. Nicole stuck her head out and looked back and forth, as if she was searching the house. Upon seeing Darwin, Nicole threw the fish a weak smile. Darwin was too perplexed to answer her, instead he gave her a half-hearted wave.

"Where's your brother?," Nicole suddenly asked, her tone sent a wave of concern through the fish's belly.

"In the kitchen," he replied, he had just finished his sentence when Gumball appeared.

"Mom! Can we talk?," Gumball's question looked to upset the mother and the two boys frowned.

Nicole ignored her son's question, disappearing into her bedroom without looking back. Before either of the brothers could move, she came out with her handbag thrown haphazardly over her shoulder. She was in one hell of a rush but Gumball moved to intercept her. He barely made it and he slid in between his mother and the front door. Darwin joined Gumball as well and the fish gave Nicole a small look.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Mom?"

Nicole let loose a high pitched laugh. "Of course! I'm just going to work!"

"You don't have work today though," Gumball said, his sentence made Nicole's ears wilt.

"My boss called me. He wants me in today for something very important," her lie was easily seen through by Darwin.

"Your phone is on the table and it didn't ring."

"It's on silent?," Nicole attempted, shrugging meekly.

Darwin shook his head. "I'd have heard it buzzing."

Nicole looked utterly defeated. Her hands were shaking and her ears were pressing down on the back of her head.

"What's wrong, Mom?," Gumball asked, he moved to embrace her and she pushed him to the side.

"Nothing!," she hissed as she pulled the door open and darted through.

Gumball watched from the floor as Nicole leaped into her car. She was obviously distraught over something and Gumball looked away as his mother's car took off down the road. He shut the door, sighed again and sat himself on the floor with his back pressed against the front door. Darwin sidled up and sat beside the cat. After a second of silence, Gumball was the one that spoke.

"I'm starting to regret telling Mom about my nightmare."

Darwin shoved his brother playfully. "It's okay. Maybe she really does have to go to work?"

"Somehow I doubt that, Darwin. I really do."

"Well, we can ask her later. She'll be in a better mood by then."

Gumball nodded and closed his eyes. "I hope so."

"Come on, the bus will be here soon," Darwin said, he pushed his brother again as he got to his feet.

Gumball stayed seated on the floor, his eyes followed his brother as the fish went upstairs. He leaned his head back and gazed up at the ceiling, sighing heavily as he thought of Nicole. He thought back to when he had told his mother about the dream. She had listened to him talk with great interest, but when he had reached the end something had changed. Gumball gasped, he brought his hand down and slapped his thigh. His nightmare had scared her. But why? He shrugged to himself, it had been a creepy dream. He honestly wasn't that surprised Nicole had found it disturbing. Still, her behavior this morning raised some suspicions and Gumball found he was wishing that he had followed her.

But his mother would have to wait as the school bus had just pulled up outside, its horn blaring loudly. With a shout, Gumball alerted his siblings and they joined him at the front door. Neither of the children spoke, they just wanted this day to be over. The weekend was upon them.

* * *

As Nicole ran her eyes over the darkness that filled the cave before her, she couldn't help feeling apprehensive of what awaited her inside. The previous night suddenly appeared before her, the face of her son floated into view and Nicole shivered despite the humidity. The dream, it couldn't be happening. It was a dead legend, a story passed down through the family to keep troublesome children in line. But the dream Gumball said he had, it mirrored her own. He had described it so vividly, she had shuddered once or twice as he spoke. How could he be having the same dreams?

It couldn't possibly be tied to the storied her mother used to tell her. They had happened thousands of years ago and Nicole had just brushed it off as nothing but a bunch of ghost stories. But Nicole knew what she had to do. With a deep breath, Nicole walked briskly into the mouth of the cave. Inside, the cave was surprisingly cool. Nicole clutched her handbag to her chest tightly as if it were a shield. She stopped in a small room and she gazed around, her eyes straining to catch any movements.

"Jötunheim?," Nicole said uncertainly, there was no answer from the dark.

Nicole's ear were pointing straight up, and she turned around to shout the name again. Just like before, the stricken mother gained nothing. She began to think the cave was empty when someone behind her cleared their throat. Nicole's reflexes kicked in and she spun, her foot coming out in a masterful roundhouse kick. Her foot sailed over the head of Mrs. Jötunheim, who was obviously none too happy about being woken up at this time of day. After allowing the female cat regain some of her composure and dignity, the shorter woman spoke.

"Ahh, Watterson. It's been a while, hasn't it?," Mrs. Jötunheim said, her voice boomed and echoed loudly throughout the cave as she spoke.

Before Nicole could answer, Jötunheim spoke again, albeit a bit quicker this time. "Mind telling me why you're here?"

Nicole moved her handbag onto the opposite shoulder before replying. "We need to talk. It's important."

"Is it really that important?"

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't," Nicole answered gruffly.

Jötunheim sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Okay, have a seat and we'll talk."

As Nicole made herself comfortable on a rather squeaky recliner, Jötunheim remained standing. When the cat had settled herself in properly, Jötunheim moved forward a step. She studied the cat's face with an all knowing eye. There was fear in the blue cat's eyes and Jötunheim clicked her tongue knowingly.

"Something has you scared."

Nicole sat forward too far and her handbag fell from her lap. It hit the dusty floor with a soft thud but Nicole made no move to retrieve it.

"Yes, I'm scared. I'm scared for my family," Nicole's voice wavered a little on the last word, Jötunheim noticed this and she clicked her tongue again.

"And why are you afraid for your family? Is it one or all of them that's in harms way?," Jötunheim questioned, Nicole looked to afraid to answer but the female cat opened her mouth regardless.

"My eldest. He's having dreams. Nightmares to be precise."

Jötunheim grunted loudly, it reverberated around the two women at a surprising volume. "Everyone has nightmares, Nicole. They have little merit on reality."

"Not like my son's. He's dreaming...," Nicole paused to press her shaking hands together. "Of _her_."

Jötunheim's demeanor quickly changed from mildly interested to dead serious. "Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"Are you having them as well?"

Nicole nodded, an action that made Jötunheim gasp. The shorter woman spun on her heel and left for almost five minutes, returning with a book under one arm.

"Have you spoken to your son about what the dreams really are?," asked as she opened the book and began flipping through its pages.

Nicole shook her head. "No, I'm scared, Jötunheim. I don't know what to do."

"You need to speak to your son! I take it you never told him about the price your blood carries?"

"Damn it, Jötunheim. I know I was supposed to tell him when he was young, but I thought everything I was told about her was just a story to keep me from misbehaving," Nicole began to sob quietly, Jötunheim remained unfazed by this.

"How old is your son again?

"Twelve."

Jötunheim frowned deeply as she returned to her book. The cat's crying was quiet and Jötunheim allowed her to cry the most of her emotions out before continuing.

"Your son must know this, Watterson. He is a cat, like you, so he shares your blood and the blood of your precursors. You are both targets."

"Can you at least tell me why we are having nightmares of her?"

Jötunheim stroked her chin before relying. "They're not nightmares."

"What?"

"The nightmares you and Gumball are having aren't dreams. They're memories."

"I fail to see how that's plausible," Nicole said, her cheeks were stained with tears as she stared over at the old lady.

"Blood was used to bind the mistake. Blood that you and your son have inherited. You and your son are seeing things that happened thousands of years ago," Jötunheim said as if she knew everything there was to know about this subject.

"How is that even possible?," Nicole said, she scooped her handbag up from the floor as she spoke.

"Hmm, my guess is the bindings have weakened to such an extent that the Mistake's influence is able to escape, albeit momentarily. Since it was your blood that was used, she is able to manipulate the dreams you and your son have. But if this is true, she is clearly unaware of this ability as the nightmares are incredibly tame," Jötunheim explained, she was pacing as she spoke.

Nicole was shaking despite the humid air inside the cave. "If it is like you say, how do we repair the wards?"

"That I don't know. The book does not cover everything as most of the records have not survived the passage of time," Jötunheim said, she paused her pacing to flip through the dusty book in her hands.

There was silence for a minute as Nicole thought over everything the other woman had said. Jötunheim was watching the cat warily, as if the cat was liable to explode. After a tense minute or so, Nicole threw her hands into the air and groaned.

"How do I even begin to tell my son about her?," Nicole said, she glanced at Jötunheim with eyes filled with exhaustion.

"That is up to you, not me. I will check on the bindings tonight, hopefully they are not too horribly damaged. I will call you as soon as I have the information," Jötunheim shut the book with a snap.

"But-."

Jötunheim silenced the cat with a shake of her head. "Silence. You must go to your son, right now, and tell him everything. He must know about his past."

"How do I even do that?"

"Once again, that is not my concern. Now leave, I need to prepare myself."

Nicole was on her feet in seconds and she was gone without saying goodbye. As the mother made it to her car, she plopped herself into the driver's seat and burst into tears. Her mind was filled to the brim with conflicting emotions. She wanted to gather her entire family and leave Elmore right this instant, but Nicole knew that that was impossible now. As her mother had said, no matter how hard you try, you can not outrun your past. But Jötunheim was wrong, the bindings were still strong. If they had lasted this long, they would most likely last forever. Gumball didn't need to know anything, he was too young and she didn't want to frighten the boy. Nicole had only been a child when she was told about her ancestor's actions. It had frightened her to no end. It didn't matter, that thing was stuck in the dark forever. They were going to be fine. As she gunned the engine and drove home, Nicole realized she had stopped shaking. She smiled a little as she drove past the charred shell of a house. The police tape surrounding the house waved tiredly in the wind. The cat didn't even afford the sight a second glance.

* * *

Gumball yawned and scratched at an ear. He groaned to himself as his pencil broke for the second time. He looked around the empty classroom, and for the umpteenth time, he cursed his teacher for giving him detention. Just as the cat had sharpened his pencil, his brother came blundering into the room in a panic. Before Gumball could say anything, Darwin was shoving a phone in his face.

"Dude, have you seen the news?"

Gumball shook his head at the fish, who continued to wave the phone around. Darwin pointed at the screen with a shaky fin.

"It says a fire broke out at Tobias' house. Dude, they're saying there's no survivors," Darwin said, he looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"What? Are you serious?"

Darwin handed the phone to Gumball and he read the news article. It read just as Darwin said. A fire had broken out somewhere around midnight and it had gutted the house completely. A little further down the article, there was a small paragraph detailing the news that there were indeed no survivors. Gumball raised his eyes from the phone and blinked twice at his brother.

"Dude, I can't believe it. Tobias is gone," he whispered and Darwin nodded sadly.

"It's not fair. He didn't deserve something like that."

"I know, man. It's-wait, there's an update."

Darwin darted to Gumball's side and peered over his shoulder. "What's it say?"

"Not much, it's saying the police are currently looking into the cause of the fire but they are treating it as suspicious."

Darwin gasped and brought his fins to his mouth. "They think someone purposefully set it?"

"Yeah, that's all there is," Gumball turned the phone off and handed it back to the distraught fish.

"Who would hurt Tobias and his family?," Darwin said, he sat on the chair beside his brother.

"I wouldn't know. None of us could know, they always were the nice," Gumball said softly, Darwin looked quite close to crying. "Uh, you gonna be okay?"

"Tobias was our friend and now he's gone."

"Come on, dude. I still have ten minutes wth my detention, but let's go. We can sit out in the sun and talk," Gumball put a hand under Darwin's fin and pulled the fish into a bear hug.

Darwin did not reply, but Gumball knew his brother was thankful for the support. After leaving the school, Gumball moved his brother to a lonely bench and sat the fish down. Darwin was still not very talkative and this only upset the young cat. Sitting beside his brother, Gumball hugged the fish to his side and he refused to let go, not even when the tears started to fall.

The day had been horrible for the two Watterson boys. Though the eldest was happy that the week was finally over and the weekend was nearing, he was still concerned for his brother. Gumball had stayed by the grieving fish for the rest of the day, his brother obviously needed the support that only a family could provide. As they sat on the stairs outside their school, their sister moved up and sat on the other side of Darwin. She did not say anything, only throwing Gumball a knowing frown as she took her seat. They passed the uncomfortable silence by wathing the other kids around them and before the trio knew it, their mother was pulling up next to them. As her children piled into the car, Nicole knew straight away that something was wrong and she turned in her seat to give the three a smile.

"You all seem sad today. Did something happen?"

Anais answered, her tone was flatter than the ground. "You haven't seen the news?"

"No, I guess not. I've been busy today."

"You know Tobias, right?"

Nicole thought for a second then nodded. "Yes, he is Harold Wilson's son, correct?"

"Was his son," Gumball muttered and Nicole's eyes went wide with shock.

"He's not-."

"There was a fire last night. Tobias and his parents were killed," Anais said, she patted the silent fish's shoulder sympathetically. "Darwin's taking the news pretty hard. He never really had many issues with Tobias."

Nicole could see how hurt Darwin was and she felt her motherly instincts kicking in. She was unable to hug the fish, so she reached out to him and ran a motherly hand over his head.

"I'm sorry to hear that, sweetie. We can talk about it later, if you want to."

Darwin looked at Nicole with eyes that sung with sadness and Nicole came close to shedding a tear herself. Though he was looking at her, Darwin didn't speak, he only nodded to show his approval. Nicole smiled and turned back to the steering wheel. For the third time that day, Nicole felt proud that she had a family, even if that meant they shared the tainted blood flowing in her veins.

 **AN: Good to see you here! This will be a short goodbye as I have work early in the morning (ugh). I'm happy at how this is going, but as always please heave insults and whatnot at me so I can improve. If there's any mistakes, I humbly request you to not murder me. I'm just very tired but I've gone over this enough times so I do hope I've caught everything. See you soon! Oh, and have a sick Christmas, guys!**


	4. Endure

AN:Sorry this took me forever. Been too busy with the family to find time to write. I'll try to update as frequently as I can but I can't make any promises. Shit has hit the fan with the whole family and I'm stuck as the mediator. Frustrating as hell. See you whenever I'm able to return!

Malevolence

Chapter Three

Endure

* * *

 _Sleep had suddenly become quite a boon. While asleep, she could allow her mind to wander into the world outside her cage. This was perfect for her, it helped her forget her current predicament. The world had changed in many different ways since she had been out there. The village of cats was now bigger, and more than just cats walked the streets now. The rickety huts were now gone, and in their place stood buildings made of brick and glass. The very nature of Elmore was a mystery to her, billboards awash with light and letters would beckon her to them like a flame would a moth. The primitive scrawls emblazoned across the faces of these boards was indecipherable. Try as she might, she could not read their primitive tongue. After all, this new language never existed in her time. Again, she found herself wondering just how long it had been since her imprisonment._

 _Thanks to the passage of time, the chains keeping her in this wasteland had deteriorated to such a degree that most of her corruption and hate was now able to gain entry to the real world. With some lucid dreaming and a little luck, she found that she is able to manifest her influence physically, but not permanently. She could shape her hatred into any form, but she chose the only form that always worked. This form was of a young woman, said projection also came with little to no clothing, which she used to lure prey. If she was quick enough, she could apply little changes to this form whenever the opportunity would arise, be it a skin or hair color change. But it was not perfect, there were flaws she could not hide. If one stared hard enough, they would be able to see through her ruse. The face would lose its beauty, and the voluptuous skin men seemed to find irresistible would run like congealed wax. The eyes were always the first to go, and she had to watch herself encase her visage started to slip. She'd already fooled one man, and in turn had slaughtered his family. It had been therapeutic but also enraging._

 _She could not eat them, what she did eat went to the man, not her. She could taste the blood and gristle, every bite would fill her stomach to bursting. After leaving the man to die, she returned to her mind expecting a full and happy stomach. Instead, she woke to a roaring belly and a nosebleed. This infuriated her to no end. Now, she used her time in the real world as a sort of impromptu surveillance. But she found that her exploration was quit limited in scope. The longer she roamed, the weaker her hold on the dream would become. Leaving it too long would force her to awake, giving her a nosebleed for the trouble. Her first night outside fluttered about within her mind's eye, making her smile. It had been too easy. Men were always the easiest to succumb to her will. After taking out most of her rage and blood lust on that family of rainbow creatures, she could now devote the majority of her energy to escaping her prison. She was still hungry, her belly would remind her of this every hour without fail. She found it almost comical how much being hungry annoyed her._

 _Hunger was usually never a problem for her, she had always stayed close to her food source. But those cats had been smarter than she had given them credit for, the powers that locked her here were proof of that. During her previous foray into the waking world, she had perused over the very same place her banishment had occurred._

 _The power those cats had used against her had been of such immense proportions that her banishment left a scar upon the world. It could not be seen, but there was an ambiance lingering in that particular spot that anyone sensitive enough could pick up. It shimmered with raw power, as if the air itself was quaking in fear. The scar glittered in an otherworldly silver light, and on closer inspection she noticed the light cast no shadows. She left that place to check on the wards themselves, the degradation they showed satisfied her significantly. The coiling bolts of light floated about within their pools of ether, she could feel them radiating heat. The wards were steadily growing dimmer, they no longer blinded her with their undulating wisps. On a whim, she had sent a weakened tendril to test the boundaries of her prison._

 _The resulting shock she received had been far weaker than she thought it would be. It still provided a level of pain beyond imagining and upon waking, she realized she'd burnt her finger right to the bone. Their power was still significant enough to strike out at her. If she'd touched the wards when they had been at full strength, her entire arm up to the elbow would have been reduced to ash. The pain in her finger was still there in all its singing glory and she grunted indignantly as the shimmering sky outside danced brightly. At least she was feeling something other than the gnawing hunger in her core and she had burst into crazed laughter. She was happier than she'd been in quite a while. Seeing the wards weakening before her very eyes filled her with glee. It inspired her to not give up hope of escaping this hell._

 _But the longer she allowed her thoughts to linger on the prospect of breaking out, the deeper her impatience would grow. Just the thought of finding her captors and eating them alive piece by piece was enough to satiate her angered stomach for a while. She knew that day would come, and it was steadily getting closer. She looked up from the dull brown wood that made up the floor of the tree-house, and the black dinosaur with a teapot in its hand stared back with lifeless eyes. She tilted her head inquisitively, her stomach growled twice before falling silent. It was a pity this creature wasn't moving, she wouldn't mind seeing how it would taste. But touching this creature did nothing, it remained as inert as stone. She had once tried to bite it, but it was like trying to bite into a wall. She could easily go find the other insect that arrived a while ago, she knew where he was. But lately she hadn't been in a hunting mood, and her stomach was thankfully silent for the moment. She spent the majority of her time sleeping now, it was all she could do to escape the pangs of hunger. Even though going without food wasn't lethal, the feeling of being hungry was more torture than she could handle. Sometimes she would stand over the one-eyed boy while he slept, her mouth drooling as she listened to his heartbeat._

 _A single claw was all that she needed to end his life. But like the last few times she caught him asleep, she would leave him be. Food was a luxury, not a necessity. Eating was mainly for fun and she wanted to allow the boy to get really comfortable before she made her move. When he finaly believed he was safe, she would then strike. Seeing the fear in their eyes before she gouged them out was always a wonderful treat. But until then, she enjoyed watching the boy and toying with his mental state._

 _After all, she was horribly bored._

* * *

The night sky was clear, save for two clouds floating aimlessly among the stars. The moon was unusually bright, the Watterson's entire backyard was awash with moonlight. The night was still and for the blue cat standing in her backyard, it was serenity. But the state of the woman's mind was anything but serene. No matter how much Nicole tried to convince herself that the stories she was told were nothing but a clever lie, her gut would continue to tell her otherwise. But she refused to believe her intuition, it had to be a lie. There was no such thing as monsters. There was nothing hiding in the dark, nothing at all. A distant rumble of thunder drew Nicole's attention to the night sky. The stars floating above twinkled down at the cat, and Nicole sighed deeply. It had just rained not too long ago and the backyard was awash with a multitude of sweet scents. She enjoyed being out here, the night air was calm and it helped the mother relax. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the air around her. The cat's thoughts turned to her mother, and the warning she had given Nicole. Her mother's warning echoed continually through her mind and Nicole paused, allowing the memory to take over.

 _Her mother's voice spoke with great authority, her bright eyes seemed to glow amidst the soft afternoon light filtering through the open window beside her. "Nicole, do you understand me?"_

 _The young kitten with blue fur nodded, a small tuft of hair sitting on her head jumped around wildly in time with her movements._

 _"This is something only you must know. Your father doesn't know and you must not tell him, okay?"_

 _Again, the kitten nodded, this time with an uncertain frown. Not just a minute before she had been playing with her dolls and now her mother was about to tell her some kind of story. It was important, she had told the kitten. So being the ever obedient child, she put her toys to the side and moved to sit by her mother. Nicole noticed how her mother had hesitated before speaking, though this was something the kitten thought little about. She had listened to her mother speak with unwavering attention, nodding every few seconds. Even after Nicole thought the story was over, her mother still had more to say._

 _"Nicole, you have a duty to this city. All the people that live here do not know what took place so long ago. Only we do and that's how it shall remain."_

 _The kitten blinked. "Why?"_

 _"Releasing this kind of truth would make our family look foolish, nobody would believe us and your father would most likely think I've lost my mind."_

 _The older cat watched as her kitten deflated slightly. With a sigh that was soft as silk, the mother leaned forward, kissing her kitten on the head comfortingly. This visibly calmed the girl, and her mother drew an arm around the child as she spoke, her voice had softened a little._

 _"It's better this way. You'll understand as you get older. As you mature, keep a watchful eye on your dreams, they can tell you much."_

 _The girl moved away from her mother and sat on the floor. She reached for her favorite doll, pausing with an outstretched arm as her mother spoke up from behind._

 _"If you ever decide to have children, be ever watchful. Especially if they inherit that beautiful shade of blue you have. Understand?"_

 _The kitten did not answer for some time, she was too preoccupied with the chunk of ice settling in her stomach. It was the first time Nicole had experienced dread, it perplexed the girl some but she did not want to dwell on such a negative emotion. She buried that feeling, it was of no use to her. The blue kitten glanced over her shoulder and the adult cat smiled warmly. Outside, the wind picked up and the curtains astride the window behind her mother billowed madly. Her mother made no movement to settle the curtains, she was focused on her child's coming response. Nicole lowered her gaze, then nodded._

 _"I do."_

An owl screeched overhead, breaking the brooding mother from her rumination. The memory of that day floated there in her mind, as if it wanted to stay. Looking up at the moon, Nicole allowed that memory to grow fuzzy until it had melted away into her subconscious. The wind picked up with a low whistle and Nicole closed her eyes, the trees beside her rustling softly. She had developed a fear of the dark a month or two after that talk with her mother. The story she had been told was the culprit, no doubt. The knowledge of a monster that actually existed caused the young kitten quite a bit of distress which persisted well into her teens. But as she'd grown into a young woman, the fear had slowly dissipated from the forefront of her mind.

After Richard surprised her with his proposal, the horror of what could be hiding under the bed shrunk away until it became little more than a painful memory. But on a select number of nights, Nicole would awaken in a cold sweat, her eyesight as black as the abyss. She would scream for help, but nobody would come to her aid. A sweet voice would talk to her, though Nicole couldn't understand it, she was too busy crying out. Then just before she would awake, the empty space above her would suddenly fill with a blinding light.

Glancing up would only deepen her dread as something flew over her on wings that blanketed the sky. Only when this thing began its dive would Nicole awake, and not even Richard's soothing words could quell the shaking mother's fright. She shook violently for a second before her thoughts took another turn and she found herself thinking about her youngest son. The news was not something anyone had expected, and Darwin had taken it the hardest. This wasn't new, Darwin was always the one who cared more about others than himself. But knowing the boy was in pain always upset her.

The back door opened just as Nicole opened her eyes again. She did not turn to see who was making their way to her, her attention stayed fixed on the night sky. As the footsteps drew closer, Nicole expected a pair of arms to enshroud her into a warm hug. She wouldn't mind it as it was getting a little chilly. But the person behind her did not take her into their arms. They instead stopped beside her and she finally decided to look, blinking when she realized it wasn't Richard that had come out. Her son stared back, his face a twisted caricature of need and sadness. Nicole tussled the boy's hair and he cracked a smile, which made her glad to see. She motioned over her shoulder at the house, as if to ask how the others were doing.

"He's still in shock, but he's getting better. He just needs a little more time to process the news."

"Good to hear, I was beginning to worry about your brother. Where is he?, " Nicole said, she gazed back up at the stars as she spoke.

"In his bowl. Anais was talking to him before I left to see you, she's the only one that's been able to console him," Gumball said, he too gazed up at the sky.

"See me? Do you need to talk about Tobias as well?," Nicole said, she glanced at her son quickly, frowning slightly.

"It's not about Tobias I want to talk about. Yes, I'm upset over hearing about his death too, but I'll be okay. I just need some time to think. Anyway, I came out here 'cause I wanted to ask you something."

Nicole thought at first he was lying about his well-being, but she didn't have the time to question her son because he shot her a serious look that silenced any words she may have had. He didn't talk for a second, but she was worried all the same. Questions weren't a good thing, and if he decided to ask a question that could inevitably lead to the Thing, Nicole knew that she would most likely have to lie. She hated lying to her son, it made her feel untrustworthy.

"Where did you go today? I want to know if you're okay," Gumball said, he was serious, she could see that clearly.

"I'm okay, Gumball. I've just been very busy with work."

Gumball nodded slowly, his ears were pointing straight up. "You sure it's not something else?"

When Nicole didn't answer, Gumball sighed and spoke.

"I know you haven't been sleeping very well."

"How do you know that?," she had rounded on him, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Dad told me. You're having nightmares too?," Gumball said, his gaze remained fixed squarely on her as he spoke.

"How much has your father told you?"

"You didn't answer my question."

Normally his tone would have provoked her, instead she let it slide this time. Nicole looked away, a lone star twinkled as if to say hello and the mother nodded reluctantly.

"Yes, okay. I'm having nightmares too."  
"Are they like mine?"

"Like yours? Specify."

Gumball dropped to the grass with a grunt, splaying his legs out in front of him before responding.

"You know. I dreamed I was attacking a village of cats. And I was flying in another part," before her son had even finished speaking Nicole felt a chill run down her spine.

 _("The nightmares you and Gumball are having aren't dreams. They're memories.")_

Jötunheim's words echoed through Nicole's mind, and she drew in a sharp gasp. Gumball heard this and looked up at his mother. He was frowning, his ears had moved down to the back of his head.

"Mom, seriously. What's going on?," Gumball said, he was rather insistent about this subject.

Nicole abruptly turned on her heel and started walking to the house. Gumball gave a surprised yelp and jumped to his feet. Nicole had reached the back stairs just as Gumball caught up with her. She paused with a foot on the first step, her confused son stood silently, waiting for her to say something.

She turned, her face devoid of emotion. "They're not dreams. They're memories."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

But Nicole was gone, the closing door was Gumball's answer. He sat on the lowest step and cradled his head in his hands.

"They're not dreams, they're memories? What the what does that mean?"

He sat alone, confused at his mother's strange confession. After ten minutes of silent deliberation, the boy got to his feet and went inside. The trees continued their soft rustling as the breeze picked up again. And as their dancing slowed down, something slithered out from underneath the brush. It was a snake, but this wasn't an ordinary snake.

Its scales were barren, lifeless even, but it moved with boundless energy. This strange mockery of a snake practically oozed malicious intent and it paused to flick its tongue at the air. It had caught a particularly intriguing scent. It reminded the snake of its age old prey, of the very blood that had locked it away. It flicked its tongue at the air again, faster this time. Catching the same scent again sent its blood into a boiling frenzy. The snake shimmered like water, exuding tendrils of black smoke that was more liquid than gas. After three seconds of this phenomenon, the snake that wasn't of this world drew back into the dark. It would be gone by the time the sun came up, the only thing that would hint at it was a fine imprint that would be washed away in the coming storm.

* * *

 _"I couldn't do it."_

 _The blue cat grimaced, the scar running down her face contorted along with her expression._

 _"What the fuck do you mean?"_

 _"You know damn well what I mean. I couldn't do it," the other woman said, her voice cracked with emotion._

 _The younger cat was not blue like the older one, rather she was a dull brown with a smattering of white spread over her left ear and eye. She shook with barely controlled sobs, her husband stood by her side like a statue, his face empty of sympathy._

 _"I couldn't do it. Not my baby," she repeated, her shoulders rumbled with her crying and her husband placed a reassuring arm over them._

 _"It isn't your child anymore! You must burn it!," the older cat yelled, she gestured around her wildly._

 _The younger cat flinched at the other woman's outburst, she was afraid of the elder but she moved to speak._

 _"We can help her, we-."_

 _The blue cat cut the other off with a curt flick of the wrist, her eyes glowing with hate and anger. She was too old to stand, but she stood regardless. The old wound in her side reminded her of its presence with a twisting rose of pain and the blue cat grunted quietly. She stepped forward, the crackling fire before her popped twice indignantly._

 _"No! You've seen how far the corruption can go, how deep it settles in one's mind, no matter how young. KILL. IT."_

 _"I can't!"_

 _"Then someone else will," the blue cat jerked her head at a guard who nodded silently._

 _As the guard strode off, the brown cat threw herself forward at the elder, tears now falling._

 _"You can't do this! She hasn't even seen her first winter."_

 _"Irrelevant. If you will not do what must be done, I will find someone who will."_

 _"Please-."_

 _"Silence. You are to stay here until the Corrupted is disposed of. If you interfere, you will be burned along with it."_

 _"This is wrong! This- **Who do we have here?**_ _"_

 _That chill, that familiar feeling. Nicole remembered it well. She looked around her, and only darkness met her. She swallowed, completely aware of the direction her dream was taking. She heard something behind her, it was just barely above a whisper and she whirled, her heart somewhere in her throat._

 _" **You are different."**_

 _The voice came from nowhere and everywhere, all at the same time, it was also in her head as well. It was a smooth voice, calm but frightening, warm but tinged with predatory chill._

 _"Who are you!?," Nicole shouted, her voice had no echo in this darkened abyss._

 _There was the coldest laughter Nicole had ever heard before she was answered._ _ **"I? You know who I am, child."**_

 _Something moved behind Nicole, it had been so close she had felt it move. She went to turn but couldn't, her legs were paralyzed._

 _ **"You smell just like her."**_

 _The voice was speaking directly into her ear, Nicole could feel the presence standing behind her. She wanted to face whatever stood behind her but Nicole's body would not respond. Not being one to give up, Nicole tried again and succeeded in moving only her head._

 _There was something blacker than the darkest cave behind her, seeing this drove her fears to new heights and Nicole suddenly wanted to be anywhere but here. Pain suddenly lanced through Nicole's head, making her gasp in surprise. A small intake of air came from somewhere in the dark._

 _ **"A descendant? With three children. Hm, one of them is not of your blood. Strange that you'd take another's child as your own."**_

 _Nicole bit her lip, a scream was building within her chest. She was trying vainly to wake herself up but nothing was working. It was as if someone was holding her in this dream, the very idea of being a prisoner in your own mind frightened the cat. Again, the pain shot through her, it was like a red hot poker being thrust into the very depths of her mind._

 _ **"The youngest shares your blood, but is not a cat. How peculiar, married a male of another species?"**_

 _The loathsome thing behind Nicole moved again, this time Nicole sensed it moving away._

 _ **"It's been thousands of years, and the bloodline has survived all this time? Well, isn't this a wonderful surprise."**_

 _The voice was growing fainter, it was leaving her and Nicole sighed in relief._

 _ **"I wonder if you taste the same as your ancestors."**_

 _This time the voice came from directly in front of her and Nicole suddenly realized she had been staring at the owner of the voice. Before she could even utter a word, a gnarled hand found its place around her neck. She gasped in a small amount of air before her supply was completely cut off, her own hands scrabbled for purchase around the attacker's hand._

 _As she was lifted from her feet, someone shouted her name and Nicole awoke screaming._

* * *

Adrenaline kicked in like a firestorm and Nicole swung, claws unsheathed and primed. A yelp of pain and a familiar voice made her pause. Richard sat up a bit, his cheek ribbed with crimson where Nicole had got him. He pressed a hand to his cheek as he sat forward to attend to his distressed wife. Nicole allowed him to envelop her in a one armed hug, she knew she needed one. They remained in that position for a minute, neither of the two spoke one bit. Richard noticed his wife shivering, but the night air was nowhere near cold. He decided against asking her any questions, now wasn't the most appropriate time. The couple sat like that for quite some time, every few minutes Nicole would cry quietly. Richard kept his mouth shut, instead he kept his arm around his wife, hoping vainly that he was comforting her.


	5. It Can Not Hide

**AN: First off, apologies for taking five years to return. Have had a lot of things happening lately, especially things with the immediate family that couldn't be ignored. So yes, I ain't dead. I never forgot though, I just couldn't find the energy to write. And writing when you don't want to is a great way to screw up your writing skills.**

 **I am still active, I will just be a bit more sporadic in my submissions. But hopefully they won't take as long as this one did. Anyway, please enjoy.**

* * *

Malevolence

Chapter 4

It Can Not Hide

* * *

Nicole was wet. Wetter than she'd ever been before. She shivered slightly, turning her eyes to the darkened sky as the rain continued to pelt her mercilessly. She mumbled to herself indignantly, the damn sky had been clear only a few minutes before. Thunder rumbled softly overhead as the drenched cat paused to pry a pair of annoying burrs from her skirt. All around her the forest thrived vibrantly with the storm, the trees themselves seemed to dance amongst each other in the rain. A few paces ahead of the freezing cat, a frightened squirrel ran out from the underbrush and paused to sniff at the air. It must have caught something Nicole couldn't see, since the didn't stay put for long. It quickly bolted back into the bushes before Nicole could blink. It appeared briefly as it hastily scaled a tree to relative safety. Nicole watched the critter melt into the canopy of leaves above her before continuing.

Lightning shot across the black clouds above, illuminating the sky with destructive power. The spectacle drew the mother's eyes above again, though she did not stop this time. She needed to find what she was looking for, but she couldn't remember the exact location. The rain seemed to be growing heavier with each passing second, this realisation forced another shiver down Nicole's back. She wished for the umpteenth time that she had taken something warm to wear before leaving the house. But she was too tired to think of anything but finding this path. She needed proof that this wasn't all in her head. Especially after that certain nightmare she'd suffered last week.

Nicole blinked the exhaustion from her eyes and yawned, the meagre amount of sleep she had acquired last night had been far from relaxing. Her nightmares were escalating, no longer were they simply shadows and darkness. Something was chasing her now, she could hear it call to her whenever she slept. She did not know who the owner of the voice was, but Nicole was well aware of the fact she didn't want to meet them. But deep down, Nicole knew full well who it was, no amount of lying to herself would be able to convince her otherwise. That very thing her mother had been speaking of so long ago. It was a hateful, loathsome thing, its very presence could fill the air with anger. But this was never apparent from the beginning, the voice it used and its mannerisms belied its true nature. It was the kind of voice you would expect to come from a young mother, from one who would never think to wish ill will upon anyone.

At first hearing it speak, the voice had been laden generously with warmth and comfort, though it was of a false sort. The chill that lingered in the air afterwards, the foulness of its very presence elicited naught but fear. Now whenever Nicole dreamed, she would inevitably begin to run. It would always be on her heels, it need only reach out and it would have her by the throat. Though it didn't seem to want to hurt her. At this stage anyway. At this point, the thing seemed to glean some kind of crazed satisfaction as it taunted Nicole relentlessly, enjoying the fear it sowed.

It did not matter, the thing was chained in its prison. It could chase her for eternity and Nicole would be glad. As long as it stayed put, Nicole saw no reason to speak of her nightmares with Jötunheim. It would only worry the older woman. But then again, this could all be nothing, just old memories of her nyctophobia being dredged up by her stress. Nicole hoped that was the true reason behind her problems. No, it wasn't and she knew this full well. Though it failed to explain the dreams Gumball was also experiencing, he was not female, but maybe the colour of his fur was the key? He is her eldest child. The cat shook her head, water that had been nesting in her fur flew in random, translucent patterns before joining the rest of the falling water pooling on the ground. She need not dwell on the past, for now at least. For now, she had to find the dirt path her mother spoke of. She'd only told Nicole about it the one time. After that, any inquiries made by the kitten were shutdown with haste. Thunder exploded overhead unexpectedly, causing the cat some inconvenient distress. Nicole frowned at the clouds, as if reprimanding them for startling her. She dropped her gaze and spied a thicket a little to her left, it seemed inconspicuous to her but it drew her attention nonetheless.

Just past the brambles, Nicole could see the beginning of a small dirt path a few feet ahead. The way ahead was overgrown with countless weeds, the path looked to curve to the right slightly before it was blocked from view. She had found it and her heart began to beat faster with adrenaline. She paused briefly, searching for an alternate route. There was no reason to go traipsing through those thorny bushes. After checking around carefully, and noticing that the thorns seemed to grow around the path like some kind of gate, Nicole resigned to her fate. She held a hand out before her as she forced her way through the thorns, ignoring the almost instant jabs of pain as the thorns enveloped her. Her clothes, coupled with her fur, helped protect her to some degree, but it did not mitigate all the damage. Her skirt caught on a low hanging nest of thorns, forcing the cat to tear the thread to get free. In doing so she twisted her body, and was rewarded with a thin cut across her cheek.

"Ugh, dammit! Why did I decide to do this?," she grumbled to no-one in particular, grunting as a thorn caught in her palm.

Cursing vehemently, the mother tripped over an exposed root shrouded in dead leaves. The cat cursed loudly enough to frighten an unseen animal as the sound of the creature's retreat made itself known. Nicole caught herself quickly before her balance completely left her and she turned momentarily to glare at the cause of her near fall. After she had stared enough daggers at the well hidden root, Nicole turned away and stumbled headfirst out of the thicket. Turning again to look back at the bundles of thorns, Nicole touched a couple of fingers to the cut resting upon her face. It was an inch or so below her eye, said laceration was shallow but bleeding freely. The cat ran an inquisitive eye down her body, noting the many cuts her fur had failed to protect her from. Most were around her thighs, but a few were situated on her arms. The wounds stung, but it was just a minor nuisance to the mother. No point worrying about them for now, she had somewhere to be and the cat quickly strode off for her destination. Her mother had been right, the path was a nondescript little dirt road, barely wide enough to accommodate two people if they walked side by side.

But this unassuming road of soil would lead to a small clearing amongst the wooden sentinels guarding its location. Such a place was once well known and feared. Though it now sat forgotten, hidden by nature from prying eyes for aeons. And deeper still, locked behind an ageing gate of stone and mired in the darkness of undying hatred, sat the very seed of Corruption.

* * *

Back at the Watterson's house Gumball still slept, the merciless rain outside did little to rouse the boy from his slumber. The young cat suddenly grimaced, as if he was experiencing a nightmare. He grunted and spoke, his speech slurred and indecipherable underneath the veil of sleep. This all happened in the space of a few seconds, as Gumball hastily reverted back to the typical neutral expression a sleeper would use. His dreams were a jumbled mess, each one ending and starting with no discernible pause. Beneath the haze of pictures, there was a small handful of frightful images. Each one bearing unfathomable horror, of flesh and bone being torn asunder. Screams of those long devoured drowning out the patter of blood falling onto snow, staining the brilliant white a darkened shade of crimson. Though despite the morbid allure, Gumball's dreaming subconscious did not stop to rest on that particular slideshow. Instead, he settled on a simple picture, one of fire and courage. But as always, the boy had no choice in the matter. After all, the cat was still asleep, completely oblivious to the raging storm outside his window.

* * *

 _"There was never enough time."_

 _"Can you be certain of that?"_

 _The blue cat lowered her gaze, the crackling fire before her dimmed briefly as a chill winter's wind whistled between the ramshackle huts of her village. She watched the fire regain vigour, the crackling steadily winning over the dying wind's shrieking._

 _"Elder?"_

 _Her eyes left the fire to focus upon the other beside her, the movement was so subtle her companion did not register it until she spoke. She kept her voice low on purpose, there was no way of knowing if the Mistake was listening._

 _"I'm certain of it. She has already taken too many. Those of us that aren't Corrupted must act now or face death."_

 _"Perhaps we could wait until daylight to strike?," her compatriot asked hopefully, the cat was just a young man, barely twenty._

 _The elder one shook her head. "I understand your reluctance, but we are out of options. There is only half of our people remaining. Any longer and we risk losing the manpower we do have."_

 _The young one gestured behind in the direction of the dark forest. "But the night is Hers. She could slaughter us all before we make it to her lair."_

 _"We aren't going to fight Her there, child," the blue cat said. "We are going to lure it out."_

 _"What if we are successful? Angering her has only resulted in death," the man said, he visibly shivered for a second._

 _"Do not worry. What we were given will help us."_

 _"But it is said that it's unable to kill Her."_

 _The older cat nodded solemnly, she knew this fact very well. "Killing Her is next to impossible. She shrugs off mortal wounds with great ease. No, we do not need to kill It. We need only keep it in place with the Spear so we can lock It away forever."_

 _The younger nodded silently as the pair fell silent. The clouds above parted ways a little, allowing a shaft of pale moonlight to peek out. What was illuminated quelled the younger cat's gnawing doubts but it was only a small margin, barely enough to celebrate. She could be anywhere, but for the time being, she was not here in the village. The forest was still dark, what little moonlight there was could scarcely penetrate the thick canopy. Before the younger cat could think of an excuse to leave, the sound of many footsteps reached his ears. A group of cats, no more than four appeared from the dark like phantasms. The four men held unlit torches and two of them carried a pickax in the opposite hand. Behind this small group, the Elder could see more cats approaching. They were appearing quickly, and this was good. The whispers pertaining to the Elder's plan had evidently spread throughout the entire village and those still full with courage were arriving._

 _A plan that was more suicidal than anything previously proposed and yet, all had agreed to attempt it, such was the desperation that gripped the dwindling population. Regardless of the risk involved, they had to lure out the Nightmare. Or all would perish before dawn, they all knew this. And it appeared that the majority were indeed brave enough to enact such a perilous endeavour. The small number of cats quickly grew to a sizeable amount, but it was nowhere near an army. Regardless, their display of courage filled the Elder with pride, as the beginnings of a smile had begun to show upon her face. Numerous cats had now gathered around the fire, scared muttering could be heard jumping between them as they paused to warm themselves. The group was mostly made up of men, some were armed. A handful of women were with them, they could be found huddled together amidst the men, the furs draped over their shoulders fluttering slightly in the cold breeze. The elder reached over her shoulders and drew her hood over, a greying strand of blue hair fell over her face as she lowered her eyes. She rose to her feet, sighing painfully as her wound burned like fire._

 _All eyes were on this tired woman, and she sighed deeply._ _The poison boiling in her blood would not take her tonight, or ever, if they were triumphant. She raised a pair of steel grey eyes, her face a perfect caricature of determination and courage._

 _"It's time."_

* * *

Gumball awoke slowly, his still sleepy mind desperately fighting to fall back asleep. He yawned, and rolled onto his side. A dim ray of sunlight managed to sneak through an opening in the dark clouds above and stung at his closed eyes, forcing the cat to pull away with a minute snarl. He finally opened his eyes, the bottom of his sister's bed greeting him like it always did. Casting a quick glance over at his bedside clock garnered a hiss from the boy. He had slept in, everyone else would be up by now. Gumball entertained the idea of going back to sleep, maybe he would have that dream again. He had been sitting by a fire, talking to someone he could not remember. Granted, he could remember only very little of his dream. With a shrug, he pushed his blanket away and left his warm bed behind. It was the weekend, a Saturday to be precise. But the boy was silent, not the usual loud, bouncing ball of energy he usually was. The dream, or what was left of it, stuck in his mind like some grungy tangle of dirty cobwebs. It clogged Gumball's thoughts, teasing the cat with its strange messages. Who were the cats he kept seeing?

He did not know, of course. He never really paid much attention to his family heritage, but deep down, he had a feeling that it was important.

"No, it's the weekend," Gumball said to himself, his voice came out hoarse and tired. "No time to think about it. It's just dream after all."

Pausing for a second to listen to the rain hammering against his window, Gumball afforded the dream one more second of thought. Try as he might, he could not remember anything worth wasting his time on and he shrugged. To him, nothing of value was lost. With that done, he hastily threw on some clothes and ran from his room. He couldn't explain it, but he had a feeling that today would be like no other. And for once in Gumball's short life, he was correct.

* * *

The crunch of a leaf made Nicole whirl, heart racing wildly somewhere in her throat. Searching the clusters of trees around her yielding little results for the high strung cat, that is until she spotted the deer. She sighed, relieved that what was following her was little threat. She gave the animal a short wave, a half smile curling her face into an uncomfortable know of nerves.

"You scared me," she said, her heart had still not slowed its crazed beating.

The deer paid the shaking cat no attention, it was too engrossed in the bush beside it. Finally feeling courageous enough to turn her back to the deer, Nicole backed up a few steps before fully turning around. Amidst the now torrential downpour and thickening trees, Nicole thought she had seen an opening in the dense foliage. If it had been her eyes playing tricks on her, she could not say. But she continued regardless, oblivious to the warnings scratched into a pair of trees to her left. The rain looked to be getting steadily worse, and yet Nicole pushed on. The dirt beneath her feet was now thick with mud, and she stumbled every few steps whenever a foot did not come free properly. She moaned inwardly, cursing at the frigid weather stinging her skin. Even with the dark canopy of the trees above, it did little to block the rain. Nicole shook her head to clear her eyes, her fur was now matted to her face and she paused briefly as she thought about turning back. Before Nicole could convince herself to do so, a voice spoke up behind her which scared the cat into near hysterics. Upon turning around to face the unknown person behind her, Nicole uttered a frightful curse.

"Jötunheim! You scared the shit out of me!," Nicole shouted, her anger was genuine, but the older woman before her did not seem to care.

"Apologies. When I saw you enter the forest, I had to follow you. What are you looking for in this place?," Jötunheim replied, she was obviously more concerned with Nicole's purpose in the forest than the cat's well-being.

"I don't know myself. I remember being told to follow this path when I wanted answers."

Jötunheim nodded slightly. "And who said that?"

"My mother," Nicole shivered slightly, it was quite cold despite her being covered in fur.

The elder saw this and motioned. "Come. It is too cold to stand out here in this kind of weather. We'll go somewhere warm."

"But I need to see what's at the end."

"Believe me, Nicole. There is nothing waiting for you there. Nothing you should see," Jötunheim sounded eager to convince Nicole to leave and this only reinforced the cat's decision to continue.

"Why? I want to see what's ahead," Nicole insisted, she crossed her arms over her chest in a vain attempt to keep warm.

"I will show you. It is safer than going there in person. Now can we get out of this rain? You must be freezing."

Nicole could see their arguing was going nowhere and she nodded. "Fine, let's go."

She wouldn't say or show it, but Nicole was grateful the woman stopped her before she could go any further. The cold was now bone deep and deeper still, there was that familiar feeling of dread. To her it was unnatural, the way how cold the air within the forest had become. Without hesitation, Jötunheim set off back the way she had come with Nicole in close pursuit. As they walked from the heart of the forest, Nicole turned to cast a doubtful face back. The thick foliage called forth to the cat, beckoning her to the secret hidden deep within itself. But like the group many years before her, Nicole left the defiled heart alone.

* * *

 _What was her past was now lost, even to her. Who she was, how she came to be, all of that had been obscured by the ever advancing sands of time. Before being imprisoned, her past was unimportant, truthfully she did not care where she had come from. She could be some anomaly created by nature and still she would not care. Now, being stuck in this wasteland of forgotten things she could not stop her mind returning to her fractured heritage. Who she once was, what she is, she did not know for that felt like a millennia ago. All she knew of herself was that she was a being of immense hate, something that could corrupt with a single touch. Such was the fragile state of mind her prey possessed, she broke them too easily. Their devolvement into rotted monsters seething with pain and rage was always the end result of her meddling. She could not lie, she enjoyed watching her creations tear into her prey, the screams of their young and old would bring a smile to her face. Somewhat frustrating was the grisly mess they left behind, what little was left over from their rampage could scarcely begin to satiate her. No matter, she would allow them to run amok, reveling in their pain and grief. They were little more than puppets and she the master. Even so, they knew full well what they were doing. And that made their fear all the more sweeter._

 _Uncoiling slowly from the dark, she raised herself onto her haunches. She could hear a cluster of thunder rolling explosively a good distance away. Underneath the distant rumbling, she registered what sounded like a short cry. Curious, she moved to peer out a window and immediately spotted the one eyed boy some meters from her hiding spot. She slinked back slightly, hoping the boy had not seen her staring at him. He did not slow his approach to her, he must be looking for shelter, and had stupidly chosen her little hovel. She bristled with excitement, her lips curling into a horrifyingly toothy grin as she drew back into the dark. After much deliberation with herself, she had finally chosen to not eat the boy after all. No, she had decided on a much more fun course of action._

 _Corruption._

* * *

"The Heart?"

"Yes, the Heart of the Forest."

Nicole sat back in her recliner, the old chair creaked noisily as the cat settled. "What is it?"

"It is the Mistake's lair. The place where she dragged countless prey to feed on. She had lived there for an untold amount of years, hibernating and feeding until she was lured out and banished from this reality," Jötunheim said, she held out a small cup of tea to the freezing cat as she spoke.

"Thank you. Banished by who?," Nicole said as she took the offered cup of tea.

"Your fore-mother, specifically."

Nicole choked a little on her tea. "What?"

"You heard correctly. From what I was told by my mother, your foremother was adamant on finding a way to be rid of the nightmare afflicting her village."

Nicole lowered her eyes slightly, her reflection stared back from amidst the tea swirling around the cup.

"Did they succeed? Is it gone for good?"

"For the moment. But that could all change soon," Jötunheim said, her visage grew darker with every word.

"How so?"

"Remember when I told you I would check on a set of wards?"

"I do."

The older woman gave a quick nod. "Good, I have done as I described. And the news will most certainly not appease you."

Nicole froze, her mouth suddenly painfully dry. "Why?"

Jötunheim rubbed at her chin before answering, her expression a slight mix of fear and uncertainty.

"Nicole, the wards are dying. We have maybe a week before they completely shatter, and that is a very rough estimation."

"What will happen if they break?," Nicole said, her hands were shaking now but only slightly.

"She will claw her way back into this reality. And the night will once again be something to fear."

* * *

 _It was never over, the chase, the hunt. She loved every second of it, the very pleasure of it was enough to draw her closer to that elusive feeling. When every nerve was on fire, awash with the only kind of pleasure a lover could provide. Though to have prey just offer itself so willingly was always a welcome surprise, still she did lament lightly at the loss of a long drawn out stalking before feeding. The one eyed boy was standing by an open window, most likely watching the downpour. She cocked her head, watching the creature before her fidget and hop from one foot to the other. Only seconds before she had convinced herself to corrupt the boy, to claw what innocence he had from his mind and reduce him to a wailing, rage fuelled monstrosity. But the damned needles in her stomach were back, and they were louder than ever. She fought internally for what felt like centuries, so torn was she between choosing feeding over pleasure that she barely registered movement in her peripherals. Snapping out of her stupor, she locked eyes with the frozen child, her need to eat rapidly outweighing her need to reproduce._

 _She took what she thought was a malevolent step forward and the boy whimpered in response. It was such a pitiful sound that it made her pause and regard the creature with abject disgust. He was not worth it, she did not want to waste herself on something this pathetic. With her teeth bared she advanced slowly, a clawed hand primed to strike if the boy attempted to flee. Whether it was a show of mercy on her side or just dumb luck on his part, for Rob, it did not last long._

 _Afterwards, she slept soundly, the sickly sweet smell of freshly sheared copper helping to lull her into a deep, lucid slumber._

* * *

Finding his brother wasn't too difficult for Gumball, who need only follow a series of high pitched squeals of pure joy. The fish was outside, running around the backyard with his father and sister in a roughly thrown together game of tag. The rain had let up a tad, but was still falling, but this was obviously of no importance to the Watterson's. Pausing just in time to witness his father trip spectacularly over his own feet, only to face-plant and send a miniature tsunami cascading over the rear fence. The sight was more than enough to get a hearty chuckle from Gumball, who had slowly started down the stairs. His siblings allowed their father no recompense as they both leaped upon the downed man, whose loud guffaws joined the high pitched laughter of his children. Gumball hit the wet grass running, intent of joining his brother and sister in the dog-pile. But as he ran, Gumball noticed something quite strange.

The world was slowing, growing darker with each passing second. This was more than enough to instil a sense of dread in the cat, forcing Gumball to adopt a type of lumbering sprint across the backyard. Even going as hard as he could, Gumball felt like he was running through molasses. As all this was happening, the sun suddenly began to set at such a quickened pace that Gumball watched the ball of light slide down as if someone had simply pulled it down behind the horizon.

The darkness was stifling, too stifling. Gumball shouted for his siblings and when he received no answer, he began to call for his father. The lack of response, coupled with the almost physical dark was too much for the boy, who dropped to his knees with a strained gasp. He screamed himself hoarse, his need anything but darkness far outweighing any thoughts of imminent danger approaching. Under Gumball's anguished screams, a small, wispy voice made itself known. Stopping his shouting momentarily, Gumball strained his ears, desperately hoping what he heard had not been an illusion. The voice came to him from the left and Gumball squinted into the dark, scanning for anything be it movement or light. The voice came again but from the right this time. Gumball jerked slightly, his fears only growing in response. The voice was inaudible, but from what Gumball could tell it belonged to a woman. Suddenly his surroundings fell deathly silent, the whispers were gone. The only thing Gumball could hear was his heart thumping loudly in his ears. Gumball was weighing on the risk of calling out or simply running away when the voice suddenly piped up again, this time from behind him. It was a cold, dead voice, seething with ancient venom. It only spoke for a second, but those little words whispered directly into his ear forced Gumball to make up his mind.

" **Found you.** "

He was running before he knew it, his heart somewhere in his throat and ears ringing with those words something had whispered to him. He was blubbering nonsense, his words stolen by a fear he had never known before. He held his hands out in front of him as he ran, afraid of what or who he might run into. But with every step he took, the darkness around was growing steadily lighter. It was now a dark grey instead of near pitch black. It only took a few more stumbling steps and light and sound came crashing back and Gumball finally awoke. He was seated at his desk in the very classroom he had grown to enjoy less than others. A shadow stood over the boy, who meekly peered upwards at the irate monkey.

Ms. Simian stood before him, her hands on her hips. "Why were you sleeping in my class?"

"I was only...," his voice shrunk away into silence, his teacher's gaze was unfaltering.

"Only what?," Ms. Simian said, she smiled and Gumball recoiled in horror, his teacher's smiles were nightmare fuel.

"I-," he began, but Darwin cut him off.

"Yes, what were you doing?"

Gumball's jaw dropped in shock. "Dude, what are you doing?"

Darwin only smiled in answer, his eyes contributing to Gumball's growing uneasiness. The fish's eyes were cold and lifeless, nowhere near as vibrant as they should be. But beneath the dead surface, there was an almost endless hunger in them. A snicker made itself known and Gumball whirled to shoot an angry glance to the children behind him. But to his surprise, the desks behind him were unoccupied. Gumball turned back to the front and gasped. Ms. Simian and his brother had vanished into thin air. Shivering, Gumball realised the classroom door was slightly ajar and as he went to leave his chair, he froze when something moved out of sight from the hallway. With his heart racing, Gumball left his desk and slowly made his way to the corridor outside. Despite the clocks on the walls reading quarter past twelve the school was empty. He strained his ears and still caught nothing, not even a whisper. The silence was deafening, it hung heavily in the air like a foul gas. Against his better judgement, Gumball called out. His strained voice echoed down the seemingly endless hallway, bouncing from wall to wall like a rubber ball. He received no answer and Gumball felt a lump form in his throat.

Again he called out, this time using his brother's name and just like before, he received no reply. Something wet slithered over the floor behind him and Gumball spun, a small gasp escaping his throat. Something had been watching him from the far end of the hallway, it had disappeared behind the corner just as he had laid eyes on it. Despite feeling some perverse kind of curiosity to see what it was, Gumball turned to run the other way and ran smack into his teacher. The sudden shock made the boy cry out and he fell to the floor. Gumball cast a glance up at his teacher, the older woman didn't seem to mind her collision with the cat. With a smile that did not fit her character, Ms. Simian bent and took the boy's hand. As she helped him to his feet, her smile looked to be growing wider the closer Gumball got. Her teeth were unusually numerous for a primate, they were crammed into her jaw haphazardly with little care if there was enough room or not. Gumball did not register how unusually sharp they were, he had already begun to raise his eyes over her face. The cat drew in a high pitched hiss of air when he finally reached her eyes. The whites of her eyes were gone, what remained was an unending abyss. Tears as black as the night sky ran down Simian's cheeks in rivulets until they pattered to the floor where they left tar-like blemishes.

Gumball took a faltering step back, whimpering in barely contained fear when the teacher's hand tightened over his into a vice-like grip. He hissed in pain and Simian's smile grew ever wider, exposing more of her rotted teeth. As Gumball stared, his teacher's skin began to crawl as if there was thousands of insects just beneath the surface. Her face was beginning to rot, pieces of her skin fell to the floor with a soft plop and Gumball felt his gorge rise. There was a sudden, loud crack, like someone biting into a raw piece of celery, and Simian's jaw unhinged like that of a snake. She lunged for Gumball, aiming for the boy's neck. Acting on impulse, Gumball dropped to his knees with a shrill cry. His teacher went right over him, lost her footing and fell on top of the frightened cat. Gumball gave a mighty pull and succeeded in freeing his hand. He whimpered in pain as her claws snagged on his sweater and tore away a piece. Gumball struggled out from under his teacher, somehow managed to get to his shaky feet and bolted. As he rounded the corner, the pained wails coming from that monstrosity chased the boy down the hall.

After Gumball had run himself ragged for what felt like a good half hour, he paused to catch his breath. He was shaking badly and he jerked viciously in surprise when someone screamed from behind him. Gumball turned reluctantly and immediately spotted Darwin who was running for him, and behind the fish was what used to be his teacher. Simian had been bent over so far, her spine had snapped clean in half. Her ribs were jutting from her chest, reminding Gumball of the misshapen teeth of some long forgotten monster. Her skin was so badly melted, Gumball's first thought was that she looked like a well-used candle. She was moving after Darwin in long, stumbling steps and Gumball realised her left arm had completely melted into a twisted amalgamation of muscle and jagged bone.

Her jaw remained open impossibly wide, the top half of her head bounced uselessly with every step. The monstrosity moved faster than Gumball could have predicted and it seemed to lunge for Darwin, only barely missing the fleeing fish. As Darwin drew nearer, Gumball quickly realised that Darwin was not running away. The fish was sprinting directly for the shaking cat. As Gumball hastily backed up, Darwin's face split open with a sick tearing sound, and something began to claw its way out of the gaping hole. What was left of his brother never stopped running, a thick trail of blood as black as the deepest night left in its wake. This thing clawing its way through Darwin's destroyed face was terribly old and Gumball caught a nightmarish glimpse of dusty, charred skin pulled taut over impossibly ancient bones as he turned to run. There was another wet, papery tearing and something pounced, its claws raking down the back of his sweater.

A screech tore through his mind and Gumball screamed along with it. The scream was the very same he had heard in his nightmares. Whatever was chasing him was impossibly close, he could feel its dead breath on the back of his neck. Despite the sharp pain in his side, Gumball kept running. He was now blubbering incoherently as he ran, his fear had completely overridden his mind. Another piercing screech exploded all around him, and Gumball did not stop. He turned another corner in this endless hallway and slammed into a wall. He dropped to the floor, holding his head in his hands and crying in absolute fear. Though the rapid footsteps had been right behind him, nothing pounced on him. Lifting his face, Gumball quickly surmised that he was suddenly alone. The wall he had run into was now gone, on either side of him there was only endless hallways, enshrouded in darkness.

Gumball sighed shakily and hugged his legs to his chest, his heartbeat racing in his ears. Something moved to his left and Gumball yelped, turning wildly. He saw a flash of orange move into his view, the flesh Gumball could see was twisted and torn, before it disappeared back into the impenetrable dark. A voice spoke up to his right and Gumball almost burst into tears of relief. He could see his mother standing a little to his right, it was too dark to make out her features, but this mattered little to the frightened boy.

He struggled to his feet and held a shaking hand out to his mother, whimpering softy.

"Mom, I'm so scared," he choked out as he walked to her.

"You should be," even though his mother's lips moved, the voice that spoke did not belong to her.

Gumball froze, the blood in his veins felt like solid ice. "What?"

His mother stepped forward, she cocked her head as if to ask her son what was causing him so much pain. Something moved in the darkness at Nicole's back, and he saw the faint outline of a pair of wings. She smiled brightly at her shaking son, before stepping back and disappearing into the abyss behind her, leaving the shaking boy alone in the encroaching dark.

* * *

As Gumball was desperately running from something no sane person would ever believe in, his father was desperately shaking the comatose cat in a vain attempt to wake him. Not far from the grief stricken father stood Darwin, a phone held limply in a shaking fin as he relayed his address to the emergency responders on the other side. Further back, sitting on the cold, wet stairs was their sister, unable to continue watching she had buried her face in her hands. Her crying would shake her tiny body with their explosive strength. Further back, situated at the front door, was the unknowing matriarch of this family. Upon hearing the screams from the backyard, Nicole cleared the house in record time, only to stop dead in a near catatonic state of pure knowing fear as she laid eyes on her still sleeping son.

 **AN: Done, still needed some touch up before I submitted the chapter. As always, I'm blind as hell so please be mindful of errors. I will check a few more times before I whack this online. It is very late though (4 in the morn here in Aussie land), and I wanted to get this out for those that liked the story. Thanks for reading!**


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